Right wing e--mails expose connection to anti-gay therapist.

[blogactive]

http://rawstoryq.com/news/2005/index.php?p=68

The largest mental health company in the nation has screwed gays!

Magellan Health Services have flip-flopped on their decision to not appoint Warren Throckmorton, a reparative therapist who has had email exchanges with Peter LaBarbera (Illinois Family Institute) and Robert Knight (Concerned Women for America).

I've posted an article on it here...How can we beat Magellan back!?

http://rawstoryq.com/news/2005/index.php?p=68

[Ian David]

1. That's easy. An Anti-Boycott. If you use Magellan, sign-up for therapy

Seeing a shrink can be fun.

And if you have coverage from Magellan, then use the coverage.

After all, that's what you're paying for, isn't it?

I'm not sure how Magellan works. I'm not sure if they're an insurer or a provider of services to insurers. But from what I see, their primary selling point is cost-containment.


And if everyone that uses Magellan got therapy, well... it's hard to contain costs when thousands of people decide they "need help."

Be sure to get a referral to a "gay-friendly" therapist, even if you are not gay. And be sure that the "gay-friendly" therapist isn't a "repairative therapy" anti-gay quack.

You may be covered for all different kinds of therapy. Individual counseling. Marriage counseling. And they can be done concurrently.

Does anyone know if this might work?


See:

The Fundamentals: Care Management & Claims

When a member calls us, they speak with a compassionate, professional care manager. These licensed mental health clinicians are responsible for the assessment and referral process and all treatment authorizations. By providing easy access to care, matching patients with the most appropriate providers, and coordinating and facilitating the transition from one level of care to the next, our care managers help deliver more positive outcomes.

Once care is delivered, Magellan continues to provide service on the back-end through claims payment. We regularly meet or exceed standards for claims timeliness and accuracy. In January 2005, we paid 98.88 percent of clean claims within 30 days - while achieving financial and statistical accuracy of claims finalized at close to 100 percent (98.9 percent and 98.7 percent respectively).
Medical Economics

A unique way in which Magellan is approaching behavioral care management is through the analysis and identification of actionable information to effectively manage care and improve quality outcomes. Magellan's Medical Economics Unit uses predictive modeling to calculate early on who will be heavy service users.

The use of medical economics means a more expedient return of the member to an increased level of productivity, more appropriate consumption of benefits, and an overall increase of behavioral health care ROI.

More:
http://www.magellanhealth.com/products/mbh/?leftmenu=1&sub=none

[Ian David]

2. More on Magellan

Massachusetts
Health Care Task Force

Health Care Task Force Membership

HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE MEMBERS

<snip>

Danna Mauch, CEO
Magellan Health Services

More:
http://www.mass.gov/healthcare/pages/tf_02.htm

Also:
Massachusetts
Health Care Task Force


On May 1, 2000, Governor Paul Cellucci, Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift, Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham, House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, Senate Minority Leader Brian Lees and House Minority Leader Francis Marini convened a statewide task force to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the health care industry in Massachusetts. The task force examined health care operation, administration, access, regulation, financing, revenues, cost, liabilities, reserves, financial viability, delivery, outcome and quality.

<snip>

This site was created and is maintained by the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, Office of Publications. Please send e-mail concerning this web site to Rick Vogel at [e-mail] or contact the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy at [phone]

More:
http://www.mass.gov/healthcare/index.htm




Good news:

General Business Issues
More MCOs May Bring Behavioral Health Services In-House, Following Aetna's Lead

Reprinted from the Jan. 3, 2005, issue of MANAGED CARE WEEK, the industry's leading source of business, financial and regulatory news of health plans, PPOs, and POS plans.

More health insurers may choose to build their own in-house behavioral health operations rather than purchasing such services from outside vendors, an analyst says. Such a move could have major implications for Magellan Health Services, Inc., the nation's largest behavioral health vendor, which provides services to many insurers.

Magellan last month said its largest client, Aetna, Inc., would switch to an in-house behavioral health unit at the end of 2005. And more MCOs may follow suit, warns Morgan Stanley analyst Carl McDonald, including WellPoint, Inc.

Several insurers already operate in-house behavioral health units, including CIGNA Corp., Health Net, Inc., PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. and UnitedHealth Group. These insurers cover only a small slice of the behavioral health market, however, compared with Magellan's 58.4 million members and Norfolk, Va.-based ValueOptions' 23 million members. But health insurers are making some gains on these specialty players. This week, PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Inc. will start providing services for 800,000 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc. enrollees who previously used ValueOptions.

"Magellan has already lost the Aetna contract in 2006, and we have greater certainty that Anthem plans to bring its behavioral health business in house," McDonald wrote in a recent research note. "According to our market sources, Anthem's contract with Magellan expires on Dec. 31, 2005." He estimates that the combined firm generates $125 million in annual revenue for Magellan.

More:
http://www.aishealth.com/ManagedCare/GenBus/MCWINhouse.html

[Ian David]

3. Complain to your State Division of Managed Care

Here is the site for Massachusetts:
http://www.mass.gov/doi/Companies/companies_home.html

The Division monitors the financial solvency of all domestic and foreign insurance companies licensed or authorized to transact insurance in the Commonwealth. The agency is responsible for the review and processing of all applications from insurance companies seeking to obtain or amend licenses and the processing of license certifications and annual statement filings. The Commissioner also has the authority to accept service of process in lawsuits involving insurance companies that are organized out of state.

The Division also reviews insurance contracts, forms, and rates for products that insurers want to offer consumers to ensure compliance with Massachusetts laws.

Assessments for Fiscal Year 2005

For Company Licensing inquiries please email us at [e-mail]
For Producer Licensing inquiries please see Licensing staff contact list.

Report On The Current State Of The Homeowners Insurance Market In The Commonwealth
Privacy Policy

[yardwork]

4. Magellan has been on the brink of bankruptcy - it's hated by providers

A lot of major health care providers have dropped Magellan because the company is so difficult to work with and so hostile to providers and patients.