Effects of the Vermont Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Law

Table III.5: Annual Level of Substance Abuse Utilization by Members of Two Vermont Health Plans: 1996-1999

	1996	1997	1998	1999
Number of Inpatient/Partial SA Days^a	Percentage of Users
Kaiser/CHP
1-2	10.67	16.90	28.21	5.26
3-7	2667	26.76	35.90	52.63
8-14	30.67	36.62	23.08	26.32
15-21	24.00	11.27	7.69	15.79
22-28	6.67	4.23	2.56	0.00
More than 28	1.33	4.23	2.56	0.00
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont
1-2	8.16	16.00	5.66	7.32
3-7	28.57	36.00	26.42	21.95
8-14	32.65	30.00	41.51	39.02
15-21	20.41	6.00	16.98	19.51
22-28	8.16	10.00	3.77	2.44
More than 28	2.04	2.00	5.66	9.76

	1996	1997	1998	1999
Number of Inpatient/Partial MH Days^a	Percentage of Users
Kaiser/CHP
1-5	63.73	59.01	58.15	62.94
6-10	18.03	18.02	17.29	15.88
11-20	11.27	11.71	16.04	13.53
More than 20	6.96	11.26	8.52	7.65
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont
1-5	46.25	47.15	51.18	51.60
6-10	24.32	22.81	22.05	19.68
11-20	16.82	14.07	16.14	18.09
More than 20	12.61	15.97	10.63	10.63

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; SA = substance abuse.