Joan Erney, Deputy Secretary, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), attended the June 17 PCPA Drug and Alcohol Committee Meeting. Ms. Erney provided an outline of the current funding situation. There was good news and bad news.
The Bad News:
- Drug and alcohol funding restoration continues to be unresolved. OMHSAS is working with the secretary of public welfare and the governor’s office to reach a solution.
- It appears that several performance/outcome measurements may be tied to drug and alcohol funding restoration. While PCPA supports accountability, the Association is concerned about yet another layer of reporting amidst the mounds of reporting providers are already required to submit, the lack of additional funding for increased reporting, and the need to have provider input into whatever the new measures will include.
The Good News:
- The plan to move General Assistance Medically Only and Categorically Only out of HealthChoices and back to Medicaid fee for service programs will not occur July 1, 2003, would not occur until January 1, 2004, and may not occur at all. The result of this move would be that funding for non-hospital residential, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization treatment would no longer be available under the Medical Assistance program at all. (PCPA has strongly advocated against this move and will continue to do so.)
- OMHSAS is working to provide some stop gap funding as soon as possible.
- HealthChoices counties are being encouraged to utilize reinvestment dollars for needed drug and alcohol services. Many counties have already submitted plans that include funding for drug and alcohol services.
- Effective January 1, 2004 all drug and alcohol clients in HealthChoices will no longer experience a lag time between initial assessment and HealthChoices eligibility. All drug and alcohol treatment clients will immediately be eligible for HealthChoices.
- OMHSAS staff is in the process of doing an analysis of the state plan and the feasibility of adding several drug and alcohol services (partial hospitalization and non hospital residential services), which would allow funding under the states Medical Assistance Program.
Thanks to all PCPA members who have worked hard advocating for restoration. All indications are that things are looking promising, but PCPA remains only cautiously optimistic.