Equity in managed care for mental disorders

Equity of mental health care relative to general medical care is a long-sta nding policy issue in the mental health field, which in recent years has be en debated as an issue of parity in insurance benefits. The shift toward ma naged mental health care makes the parity debate less controversial, becaus e feared cost increases are an unlikely consequence under managed care. We argue, however, that managed care also makes benefit parity less relevant t o the goals of achieving fairness in the delivery of mental health services . A broader policy perspective is required to encompass concerns about fair ness under managed care.