The financing of health care is undergoing a major transformation as state and federal governments, third-party payers, providers, and consumers seek new ways to control rapid cost increases. To learn more about the impact of these cost-containment efforts on health insurance benefits, the service delivery system in general, and mental health services in particular, H&CP Editor John A. Talbott, M.D., talked with Marlon R. Dauner, senior vice president for external affairs of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, one of a small number of states to implement a statewide prospective payment system. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
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