The challenge for the alcohol and drug field is to find a way to work in this new context, while maintaining the integrity of the services necessary so that individuals can begin the process of recovery and rebuilding their lives. In its purest and most positive form, managed care is a systematic attempt to match individuals with the appropriate level of health care services necessary to prevent and treat illness. Managed care is also a method used to rein in escalating health care costs by tightly controlling health care decisions. Today, all these managed care approaches are being applied in drug and alcohol treatment systems, whether publicly funded programs or those supported through third-party insurers. A cookie-cutter approach will not work for individuals with drug and alcohol problems.
Individuals enter treatment at various stages of their addictions.
The key to effective intervention and treatment is matching an individual to the most appropriate treatment program, tailoring treatment to the person 's individual needs, and ensuring that he or she remains in treatment and participates in continuing care to prevent relapse. Treatment outcome research indicates that length of treatment is the strongest predictor of positive treatment outcome. In advocating for appropriate care for individuals with drug and alcohol problems, it is important for providers to point out that it makes no sense to cut corners in providing these services. They must emphasize that treatment services are cost-effective and they work. Community-based drug and alcohol programs must also argue that they are an essential part of any new delivery systems.