TY - JOUR
T1 - Employee benefits managers' opinions about addiction treatment
AU - McFarland, Bentson H.
AU - Lierman, Walter K.
AU - Penner, Norman R.
AU - McCamant, Lynn E.
AU - Zani, Brigid G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health grant number R03 MH56363, and by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grant number K02 AA00281.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - Employee benefits managers arrange addictive disease treatment insurance coverage for the majority of people in the United States but little is known about these decision-makers. Managers were surveyed to learn their opinions about addiction treatment. Subjects were 131 people (61 percent female, 94 percent white, average age 46, average of 14 years in the human resources field). Managers were asked to rank health benefits (physical health, dental, alcohol-drug, vision, mental health, employee assistance program, and pharmaceuticals) on 15 dimensions. Managers ranked alcohol-drug abuse treatment worst on five items and second to the worst on another four of the 15 dimensions. On the item considered most important by the managers, respondents noted that employees often (2.8) ask for improved physical health benefits but rarely do so for alcohol and drug (4.1) benefits (p<.001). Education of workers and payers will be needed to change opinions about treatment of addictive disorders.
AB - Employee benefits managers arrange addictive disease treatment insurance coverage for the majority of people in the United States but little is known about these decision-makers. Managers were surveyed to learn their opinions about addiction treatment. Subjects were 131 people (61 percent female, 94 percent white, average age 46, average of 14 years in the human resources field). Managers were asked to rank health benefits (physical health, dental, alcohol-drug, vision, mental health, employee assistance program, and pharmaceuticals) on 15 dimensions. Managers ranked alcohol-drug abuse treatment worst on five items and second to the worst on another four of the 15 dimensions. On the item considered most important by the managers, respondents noted that employees often (2.8) ask for improved physical health benefits but rarely do so for alcohol and drug (4.1) benefits (p<.001). Education of workers and payers will be needed to change opinions about treatment of addictive disorders.
KW - Benefit coverage
KW - Health insurance
KW - Human resources
KW - Personnel
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U2 - 10.1300/J069v22n02_02
DO - 10.1300/J069v22n02_02
M3 - Article
C2 - 12703666
AN - SCOPUS:0038560033
SN - 1055-0887
VL - 22
SP - 15
EP - 29
JO - Journal of Addictive Diseases
JF - Journal of Addictive Diseases
IS - 2
ER -