Now the General Assembly is putting extra touches on a 2011 makeover that will regionalize mental health care further than before and essentially create 11 public-sector managed care insurance companies. They will act as administrators to ensure services to more than 300,000 people with mental illness, substance abuse problems and developmental disabilities.

 

Some patient advocates and lawmakers are worried the mistakes of last decade could be repeated. But state health regulators say they're keeping close tabs on the rollout.

 

Managed-care proponent Rep. Nelson Dollar of Wake County says the state can't afford to fail this time around.