ABSTRACT
Most clinicians practicing in the 1990s were trained in an environment devoid of “managed competition” processes and the managed mental health care (MMHC) systems and technologies that are so prevalent. MMHC refers to the systems and technologies aimed at organizing and managing both the clinical and financial resources necessary to provide appropriate mental health services to a given population of consumers. Several of the larger MMHC companies have come to dominate the market and operate on a national scale. MMHC firms utilize large networks composed of a variety of providers and facilities. Utilization management in MMHC systems refers to any of several techniques and procedures used to monitor and evaluate the necessity or appropriateness of care for benefit coverage or provider reimbursement purposes. As MMHC firms evaluate providers for inclusion in their networks, practitioners should also evaluate the attractiveness of affiliation with individual MMHC companies, striving for referral relationships with those that are most attractive.
