This report presents a basic set of Medicaid M/SU program statistics for the non-elderly population in a uniform set of tables for each of 10 selected States, plus a set of tables that aggregates data across all 10 States. Using daa from 1995, these tables provide a range of information on user characteristics, service utilization, and expenditures for each State. The fundamental purpose is to provide policy makers, interest groups, and others with basic information on M/SU services and expenditures in Medicaid, and associated trends.
From the report:
Despite the importance of the Medicaid program, only a few studies have examined MH/SA services within one or more States. One study of 1984 Michigan and California data found that spending for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services was 11 to 12 percent of total Medicaid expenditures. Persons using such services accounted for 9 to 10 percent of the Medicaid population (Wright & Buck, 1991). An update of this study using 1992 data found that MH/SA recipients were 7 to 9 percent of enrollees. MH/SA expenditures were 7 to 10 percent of all Medicaid spending (Wright, Smolkin, & Bencio, 1995). However, the total of MH/SA and non-MH/SA spending for MH/SA users made up 21 to 24 percent of all Medicaid expenditures. More recently, Larson and colleagues (1998) examined Medicaid MH/SA services use for Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington for 1993. Using a broad definition of MH/SA utilization, this study found that 11 to 13 percent of enrollees had some MH/SA use.
There are several reasons for this limited literature. First, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly HCFA), the agency that administers the Medicaid program, does not compile program statistics by diagnosis. Thus, information on MH/SA or other major conditions is not readily available. Second, due to the size and complexity of data sets, statewide Medicaid studies are extremely expensive.
To address these problems, a basic set of Medicaid MH/SA program statistics was developed for the non-elderly population that could be inexpensively generated from Medicaid data that States submit to CMS. These statistics are presented in a uniform set of tables for each of 10 selected States, plus a set of tables that aggregates data across all 10 States. These tables provide a range of information on user characteristics, service utilization, and expenditures for each State. The fundamental purpose is to provide policy makers, interest groups, and others with basic information on MH/SA services and expenditures in Medicaid, and associated trends. Table sets for 1986 - 92, 1992, 1993, and 1994 have already been published (Buck, Miller, & Bae, 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2000d).
Full report: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA02-3713/
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Mental health and substance abuse services in Medicaid, 1995. Buck, J.A. and Miller, K.
