Panic disorder and depression: how can health care reform address behavioral disorders common in primary care?

The literature on panic disorder and depression illustrates the expense of not identifying and correctly treating behavioral disorders, including increased medical utilization, lost productivity, exacerbated comorbid conditions, and other indirect costs that exceed by at least three-fold the cost of treatment. This article discusses health care reform focused on person-based, rather than employer-based, health insurance: patient incentives to practice responsible utilization review; incentives for primary care physicians to identify and treat behavioral disorders; and facilitation of collaboration between primary care physicians and mental health consultants.