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The Medicaid program and the Clinton plan: implications for mental health services
1Office of Policy and Planning, Center for Mental Health Services, Rockville, Maryland 20857.
Hospital & Community Psychiatry
|September 1, 1994
Summary
The Clinton plan aims to reform healthcare by including Medicaid beneficiaries in a universal system. While expanding coverage, it may reduce services and increase out-of-pocket costs for some, particularly those with severe mental illness.
Area of Science:
- Health Policy
- Healthcare Reform
- Public Health Insurance
Background:
- The Medicaid program presents challenges for healthcare reformers.
- The Clinton plan proposes a significant overhaul of the existing healthcare system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the challenges posed by the Medicaid program for healthcare reform.
- To analyze how the Clinton plan addresses these Medicaid-related issues.
Main Methods:
- Review of the proposed Clinton healthcare plan.
- Analysis of the plan's provisions concerning the Medicaid program.
Main Results:
- The Clinton plan seeks a compromise between maintaining and altering the Medicaid program.
- It aims to extend services to the uninsured and control costs by potentially limiting services and increasing out-of-pocket expenses for Medicaid beneficiaries.
- While all beneficiaries remain eligible, service reductions are possible, though critical services for severe mental illness would be preserved.
Conclusions:
- The Clinton plan integrates Medicaid beneficiaries into a broader healthcare system.
- This integration involves potential trade-offs, including reduced services and increased costs for some beneficiaries, balanced by maintaining essential care for specific populations.