Gervaise et. al, (1999) point out that increasingly financial reimbursement restrictions from managed care agencies play a critical role "in the quality of patient care" (1). According to the researchers, "complicated contractual arrangements among multiple providers obstruct rather than facilitate provisions for continuity of patient care" (Gervaise, et. al, 1).

New Advances In Modern Care - Addressing Time Limited Therapy

In the short- and long-term it is likely that limits on therapy will remain. Thus new treatment models must be developed to ensure adequate care. New requirements and restrictions placed by managed care organizations necessitate change in the health care field. Much of the research available supports more training for psychologists so they learn techniques for succeeding using group therapy practices (Drotos, 1997; Kent, 2000; Joseph, 1997). Group oriented approaches enable successful time limited treatments and cost effective services that health maintenance organizations are more likely to support.

There is still ample evidence that supports longer therapy for improved recovery rates (Lego, 1998). Some studies show that 50% of patients will get better with 11 or fewer treatment sessions, while 75% are likely to show improvement after dozens of sessions (Lego, 1998). Group oriented therapy may be able to achieve success without compromising care if it focuses on helping patient functions more effectively "in all aspects of their lives" and encourage patients to take an active role in changing their environment to prevent future fallbacks (Lego, 3).

Future therapy can be improved by encouraging patients to take a more proactive approach to their recovery. This may be accomplished through education and increased training for psychotherapists to help them develop...

(1997). Breaking free of managed care. New York: Guilford.
Bistline, J.L, Sheridan, S., & Winegar, N. (1992). "Implementing a group therapy program in a managed care setting: Combining cost effectiveness and quality care." The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 73(1): 30.

Drotos J.C. (1997). "Upheavals in the land of the giants." Behavioral Health

Management, 17 (8), 39-40.

Gervais, K.G., Otte, K.K., Priester, R., Solberg, M. & Vawter, D.E. (1999). Ethical challenges in managed care: A casebook. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

Jeffrey N.A. (1998, January 5). "A new balancing act for psychotherapy." Wall Street

Journal, pp. B6, B7.

Joseph S. (1997). Symptom focused psychiatric drug therapy for managed care. New York: Haworth.

Kent, A.J. (2000). A psychologist's practice guide to managed mental health care.

Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kim, C., Ferrara, A., McEwen, LN, Marrero, DG, Gerzoff, RB, Herman, WH. (2005,

Jan). "Preconception care in managed care: the translating research into action for diabetes study." Am J. Obstet Gynecol, 192(1): 227-32.

Larson, M.J., Zhang, A., Smith, K. & Kasten, L. (2005, Mar). "Access to services:

multiple perspective from adults with substance abuse disorders in Massachusetts." Adm Policy Ment Health, 32(4): 357-71.

Lego, S. (1998). "Managed care of outpatient psychotherapy: A new twist." Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 34(1):3

Lesho, E.P., Myers, C.P., Ott, M, Winslow, C. & Brown, JE. (2005, Mar).…