Those of us involved in treatment well know that we need more data on patient outcomes and an improved ability to match patients with the particular type of treatment most appropriate for them. Even without managed care, the field has been moving in the direction of improved data systems, uniform screening and placement criteria, and patient evaluation based on outcomes rather than on completion of treatment. Managed care requirements simply reinforce the drive toward increased accountability and professionalism already evident in the substance abuse treatment field. Our clients tend to be poor, with little political clout, and they have serious needs and problems not typical of those covered in private managed care plans. As policymakers develop managed care systems, we need to be sure they fully understand addiction and the nature of successful addiction treatment.
Studies show that length of treatment is an important factor in successful recovery.
In the shift to managed care plans, we face three critical challenges. How to ensure comprehensive, cost-effective services. Substance abuse is a multifaceted disorder, and an insurance package or health plan is only part of the formula for successful treatment. Effective treatment requires a set of core services beyond health care provisions. These services include such components as help with housing, child care, education, vocational rehabilitation, and often such basic survival needs as food.