A revolution is occurring in the private mental health care delivery system in the United States, marked by increased employer interest in how health care dollars are spent, new financial arrangements between payers and providers, and a reshaping of clinical practice to focus on efficacy and efficiency according to objective clinical care guidelines. Managed mental health care (MMHC) evolved from early management processes such as retroactive review into networks of providers in partnership with MMHC firms whose goal is to pursue effective management of benefits and care. Areas of cooperation and potential pitfalls of relationships between community' based agencies and MMHC entities are discussed.
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