Introduction to the Special Section on Health Reform and Mental Illness

Earlier this year, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the policy research arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commissioned three papers, each addressing a key question for the organization and financing of mental health and substance abuse care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): How should the "market" for new health insurance plans be set up? Will coverage of mental health services be adequate? Can the quality and efficiency of care be improved through better integration of mental and physical health care? Together, these papers are a primer for mental health clinicians and policy makers about what to look for, hope for, and watch out for as the rubber meets the road in health care reform. (November 2010)