Oklahomans
want federal health care dollars to support the health and wellness of
Oklahomans, but not at the expense of rural hospitals and mental health
treatment. That’s exactly what a new proposal in the Legislature would do.
Legislators
are expected to vote in the coming days on increasing a hospital fee to fund
SoonerCare 2.0, which would partially expand Medicaid but draw down fewer
federal dollars and put a larger burden on hospitals. This hurts mental health.
SoonerCare
2.0 proposes nearly doubling the Supplemental Hospital Offset Payment Program
(SHOPP) fee. SHOPP helps hospitals cover the cost of treating Medicaid patients
and keeps them in business. Increasing SHOPP will disrupt a complicated funding
mechanism and create a new set of winners and losers among our state’s
hospitals. It’s also of particular concern for mental health because these
hospitals are often a front-line resource for Oklahomans with mental illness.
Seven
Oklahoma psychiatric hospitals are part of the SHOPP program; this legislation
could directly hurt them and their ability to offer adequate care. All general
hospitals in the state serve individuals with mental illness and many have
dedicated psychiatric units that would be disrupted. SHOPP changes would
especially impact rural hospitals, which would deeply affect mental health
treatment in our rural communities. When the larger hospital system is
disrupted, the effect ripples throughout the mental health treatment system and
is felt by providers and individuals needing treatment.
In
addition, SoonerCare 2.0 calls for reallocating a portion of the Department of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ budget, which is currently used to
treat uninsured individuals. The thought is some individuals would now qualify
for Medicaid and, thus, dollars saved could be reallocated elsewhere. The
reality is the reallocation of these funds is based on theoretical projections
and, ultimately, would prevent us from serving more people impacted by mental
illness. Oklahoma already ranks among the lowest states per-capita in mental
health spending but high in mental illness. We need more money for treatment
and to improve overall outcomes.
Equally
troubling, SoonerCare 2.0 is a block grant model that would restrict the number
of federal dollars that would come back to Oklahoma.
This
and other details of the plan are highly experimental and unproven and will be
tied up in federal court for years. Work requirements, which are a key part of
the SoonerCare 2.0 plan, have already been struck down in federal court several
times.
The
question before legislators now, though, is nearly doubling the SHOPP fee for
hospitals. Health care at the expense of hospitals and mental health treatment
is no solution. Legislators should vote no on changes to SHOPP, and Gov. Kevin
Stitt should let the voters decide on State Question 802, which would expand
Medicaid and bring nearly $1 billion in federal funding to Oklahoma each year
to support expanded service options. Make your voice heard to ensure Oklahomans
have the best possible health care options — SoonerCare 2.0 is not it.
About OrionNet Systems
OrionNet is an Oklahoma small
business founded in 2001. OrionNet has designed, developed and supported
applications created both for the client-server and web environments, as well
as developing, marketing and supporting a commercial application for the
counseling centers industry.
Visit the OrionNet Systems’
website, www.iorion.com, or
their social media pages, https://twitter.com/ThinkHealth & https://www.facebook.com/pages/OrionNet-Systems/139352156150090 for more information.
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