Defense Health Care: Additional Improvements Needed in CHAMPUS's Mental Health Program
Abstract
DOD has taken several actions to better manage CHAMPUS mental health costs and utilization and to improve the quality of care for beneficiaries. DOD has undertaken initiatives and demonstration projects that employ utilization management techniques similar to those used by private-sector companies and health plans that intensively manage mental health care. It has also instituted controls over payments to psychiatric facilities and improived standards for RTCS, which DOD systematically inspects with some follow-up to determine if problems are corrected. Because of these effort CHAMPUS mental health costs leveled off in fiscal years 1990 and 1991. Several problems persist, however. For example, reviews of medical records have identified numerous instances of poor medical record documentation, potentially inappropriate admissions, excessive hospital stays, and poor-quality care. Also, inspections of RTCS continue to reveal significant health and safety problems, and corrective actions often take many months
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 06, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA265476
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office