Effects of the Vermont Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Law

Table III.3: Annual Level of Mental Health Utilization by Members of Two Vermont Health Plans: 1996-1999

  1996 1997 1998 1999
Number of Outpatient MH Visits Percentage of Users
Kaiser/CHP        
   1-5 60.70 60.80 55.54 56.08
   6-10 20.31 22.22 21.32 20.83
   11-20 14.97 13.33 16.33 15.32
   More than 20 4.02 3.65 6.81 7.78
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont        
   1-5 41.15 42.09 42.47 43.00
   6-10 19.25 20.44 22.36 21.58
   11-20 19.80 18.80 19.57 19.07
   More than 20 19.80 18.67 15.60 16.36
  1996 1997 1998 1999
Number of Inpatient/Partial MH Daysa Percentage of Users
Kaiser/CHP        
   1-2 7.79 19.09 22.09 9.09
   3-7 29.87 32.73 36.05 42.42
   8-14 33.77 27.27 30.23 24.24
   15-21 12.99 7.27 3.49 6.06
   22-30 11.69 12.73 2.33 3.03
   More than 30 3.90 0.91 5.81 15.15
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont        
   1-2 12.12 13.64 13.56 13.56
   3-7 31.82 47.73 33.90 37.29
   8-14 31.82 25.00 28.81 33.90
   15-21 15.15 4.55 11.86 6.78
   22-30 1.52 6.82 8.47 5.08
   More than 30 7.58 2.27 3.39 3.39
Source: Original analysis of Kaiser/CHP and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont claims/encounter data by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
a One day of partial treatment is counted as one-half day of inpatient treatment
Kaiser/CHP = Kaiser/Community Health Plan; MH = mental health.

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