Ethical Issues with Managed Care

Abstract

With the advent of managed care, counseling psychologists are encountering vexing ethical issues. These issues arise not only for practitioners but for researchers, educators, and trainers as well. In this article, the authors briefly describe the evolution of managed care and review basic biomedical ethics and ethical decision-making models. The authors then examine specific ethical issues and offer suggestions for practice, research, and education and training. This article concludes with a research agenda, a review of projected general trends in health care delivery, and a discussion of counseling psychology’s role in addressing current concerns as well as influencing the future evolution of health care delivery.