Posted on July 14, 2010 16:58
Categories: Mental Health | Treatment and Recovery | State and Local
Topics: Managed Care | Providers | Quality | Spending
On June 18, the West Virginia Behavioral Health Care Providers Association (BHCPA) released a report challenging the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ (DHHR) plan to transfer the medical and behavioral health benefits of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients from fee-for-service plans to managed-care plans. DHHR intends to use the transfer to integrate behavioral health and physical health services; however, BHCPA contends that the plan is overly complicated and could reduce access to essential mental health services. The BHCPA report also suggests that the plan could drive up costs and increase the percentage of funding going toward administration. Additionally, the report questions the capability of managed care organizations to serve the chronically mentally ill population and the feasibility of supporting a managed care network in a rural state. DHHR plans to begin enrolling SSI recipients in managed-care organizations on December. State officials project the transition will affect 55,000 individuals.
From the report:
With health care reform at the top of our national agenda, states are looking at how to best care for those least able to care for themselves. Of particular concern are individuals suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. These individuals not only require specialized mental health treatment, such as supportive therapy and monitoring of stabilizing medications, but also need help managing their lives and accessing resources. Laurie Flynn, former executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, defines the state mental health mandate as “a lifetime commitment to accepting responsibility for the effective treatment and humane care for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.”
Full report: Behavioral Health for the Vulnerable: Can HMOs Deliver? (PDF | 356.31 KB)
West Virginia Behavioral Health Care Providers Association (BHCPA). (2010). Providers Behavioral health for the vulnerable: can HMOs deliver? Helgoe, L.A.
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