Effects of the Vermont Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Law

Table III.4: Access to and Use of Substance Abuse Services by Members of Two Vermont Health Plans: 1996-1999

Substance Abuse (SA) Services Before
Parity
After
Parity
Percent
Change
Kaiser/Community Health Plan (Kaiser/CHP)
Number of SA services users per 1,000 members per quarter      
   Any SA services 5.69 4.77 -16.2***
   Inpatient/residential SA services 0.56 0.18 -67.9***
   Partial SA services 0.18 0.24 33.3
   Outpatient SA services 5.43 4.68 -13.8***
Number of SA services per user per quarter      
   Inpatient/residential SA days 11.19 8.30 -25.8***
   Partial/intensive outpatient SA days 9.26 8.25 -10.9
   Outpatient SA visits 4.29 4.44 3.5
Number of SA services per 1,000 members per quarter      
   Inpatient/residential SA days 5.70 1.19 -79.1***
   Partial/intensive outpatient SA days 1.52 1.79 17.8
   Outpatient SA visits 23.97 21.08 -12.1
Percentage of outpatient SA users receiving group therapy 35.1% 32.3% -8.0
   Average number of group therapy visits per user 6.45 6.26 -3.5
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont
Number of SA services users per 1,000 members per quarter      
   Any SA services 4.98 3.53 -29.1***
   Inpatient/residential SA services 0.39 0.18 -53.8***
   Partial SA services 0.25 0.33 32.0
   Outpatient SA services 4.85 3.38 -30.3***
Number of SA services per user per quarter      
   Inpatient/residential SA days 10.45 16.68 59.6***
   Partial/intensive outpatient SA days 10.07 19.33 92.0***
   Outpatient SA visits 4.68 4.59 -1.9
Number of SA services per 1,000 members per quarter      
   Inpatient/residential SA days 4.21 1.91 -54.6***
   Partial/intensive outpatient SA days 2.47 5.18 109.7**
   Outpatient SA visits 23.08 14.24 -38.3***
Percentage of outpatient SA users receiving group therapy 18.9% 19.7% 4.3
   Average number of group therapy visits per user 5.08 6.44 26.9*
Source: Original analysis of Kaiser/CHP and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont claims/encounter data by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
* Significantly different from zero at the .10 level, two-tailed test.
** Significantly different from zero at the .05 level, two-tailed test.
*** Significantly different from zero at the .01 level, two-tailed test.
Kaiser/CHP = Kaiser/Community Health Plan; MH = mental health.

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