Leveling The Playing Field

From the consumer perspective, the U.S. health care system is a confusing maze. Each of the fifty states has its own regulations—from licensure to telehealth coverage and health plan regulation (for a profile of each state’s health system, behavioral health system, Medicaid program, and long-term care coverage, see OPEN MINDS State Profiles). There are 4,384 health plans—each with their own provider networks, prior authorization requirements, and reimbursement rules. There are 1,715 provider organizations providing hospital services and another 15,762 provider organizations offering addiction treatment services (see OPEN MINDS IntelligenceExplorer).

In this environment . . .