The economics of depression in primary care: de-fragmentation in the Oregon Medicaid market

Abstract

The Oregon Medicaid program legislatively separates the administration of physical health and mental health services, even though behavioral and physical health conditions significantly impact each other. To overcome this barrier and enhance integrated care, CareOregon, a large Medicaid only health plan partnered with two of its largest provider groups to pilot two different models of integration. In one, an "ownership" model, behavioral health specialists were employed by Federally Qualified Health Center primary care clinics and functioned in a common care model with other providers. In the other, a "loaned" model, behavioral specialists were placed in primary care clinics by community mental health centers and continued to function in a specialty mental health model. The qualitative effects of these two models are discussed.