CONSUMER AFFAIRS BULLETIN
Volume 1, No. 1 Winter 1996

Managed Care-Know All That You Can Know

"Managed care" is or soon will be a household word to many consumers/survivors. In an effort to provide useful information, SAMHSA/CMHS has initiated the following:

If you are at the beginner's level in understanding this topic, the new easy-to-read pamphlet, Managed Mental Health Care, What to Look For, What to Ask, highlights what every consumer/survivor will want to know about this growing approach to mental health service delivery. A Spanish-language version is planned for production. Another practical tool is the "Public Managed Mental Healthcare Glossary" from the publication, Blueprints for Managed Care-Mental Health Concepts and Structure. CMHS has released the Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program (MHSIP) Managed Care Report Card developed with and for mental health services recipients to gauge the accessibility, appropriateness and quality of mental health services provided through managed care plans. All three of these guides as well as many other managed care materials are available from the Information Center.

The National Consumer, Family, and Advocate Leadership Conference on State Health Care Reform and Managed Care held in May 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a historical event. Sponsored by the National Managed Care Consortium in partnership with CMHS, the more than 300 participants shared a common agenda - instigating change in the mental health system that promotes personal empowerment, education and consumer participation at all levels.

The SAMHSA Managed Care Initiative Home Page (http://www.samhsa.gov/mcnew/index.html) is now available on the Internet and is full of information including a summary of SAMHSA and Center managed care activities; a calendar of meetings, conferences, and training opportunities; training materials and publications; a managed care annotated bibliography; and the Locator-a guide to Federal managed care publications, technical assistance, and grant programs.

Consumer Affairs Bulletin
Volume 1, No. 1 Winter 1996