Studies from University of Maryland Add New Findings in the Area of Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (How Phantom Networks and Other Barriers Impede Progress On Mental Health Insurance Reform): Mental Health Diseases and Conditions

2022 AUG 18 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Mental Health Diseases and Conditions. According to news originating from Baltimore, Maryland, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “Phantom networks are but one of many barriers to realizing access to mental health services. The term phantom networks refers to the misleading practice of listing providers as members of a network when they are not actually accepting patients.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Maryland, “Inaccurate information on provider availability impedes the implementation of reforms that are designed to improve health insurance coverage of mental health treatment. Some other barriers to improving access to mental health services include low reimbursement rates from Medicaid, hesitancy of psychiatrists and psychologists to participate in networks, and practices of some managed care networks that require prior approval of mental health services such as psychiatric hospitalization.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Phantom networks and these other barriers stand in the way of patients finding providers to help them at a time of need for treatment and support.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: How Phantom Networks and Other Barriers Impede Progress On Mental Health Insurance Reform. Health Affairs, 2022;41(7):1023-1025. Health Affairs can be contacted at: Project Hope, 7500 Old Georgetown Rd, Ste 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-6133, USA.

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Howard H. Goldman, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00541. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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