The Clinical Consequences of Payment Limitations: the Experience of a Private Psychiatric Hospital

Presents 3 clinical vignettes that illustrate the potential clinical consequences for psychiatric patients of restrictions on insurance benefits. These suicidal subjects were prematurely discharged because their insurance companies insisted, resulting in disruption of progress made in treatment & danger to the subjects. Hypotheses are generated for use in future prospective studies of the cost effectiveness of treatment approaches, including inpatient hospitalization. (3 refs.)