Behavioral Health Services for Women Who Have Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: To explore whether the use of behavioral health services (BHS) among women with breast cancer is influenced by how insurance plans administer these services, we compared utilization of psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic medications among women with breast cancer whoreceived BHS coverage through a carve-out versus integrated arrangement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed insurance claims, enrollment data, and benefit design data from the MarketScan Commercial Claims & Encounters Research Database for the years 1998 to 2002 for women