Behavioral health services: carved out and managed.

This article highlights the financial pressures that led to an examination of how mental healthcare was provided and paid for, and discusses the rise, characteristics, and functioning of carved-out behavioral healthcare. The typical characteristics of managed behavioral health carve outs (MBHCOs), including contracts, payment arrangements, provider networks, and data collection are discussed and illustrated using the example of United Behavioral Health. The article details the function of the MBHCO on cost and utilization, access, quality, and the relationship of behavioral health services to general medical care and other human services, but cautions that further research is needed to evaluate the qualitative aspects of care.