Mental health benefit limits and cost sharing under managed care: A national survey of employers

Mental health services experts suggest that managed care diminishes the nee d for arbitrary benefit limits and consumer cost-sharing. Data from 577 hea lth plans were used to test the hypotheses that health maintenance organiza tions (HMOs) and carve-out plans are less likely to use benefit limits or s ervice exclusions, have more generous limits, and have lower cost-sharing r equirements than non-HMOs and non-carve-out plans. The results show that HM Os were more likely to use service exclusions and did not make less use of benefit limits. Carve-outs were less likely to use some coverage exclusions . Comparisons of the stringency of limits and cost-sharing provisions did n ot show consistent differences.