Managed care's paradoxical effect.

This paper addresses the efforts made by the managed care industry to cut costs in the spending of the health-care dollar. It focuses on what appears to be disproportionate attention being paid to the dollar at the expense of appropriate patient care. It examines the effects of cuts in the mental health-care dollar as this relates to shorter lengths of stay in more expensive settings and not effectively utilizing a continuum of care. It also shows how managed care has impacted medical liability and the legal implications thereof.