Oklahoma’s mental health professionals seem determined to
stop Gov. Kevin Stitt’s plan to incorporate the Department of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services into the Oklahoma Health Care Authority — or at least
get an explanation of why it would be a good idea.
As currently written,
however, the bill requires the “administrative functions” of the two agencies
to be consolidated and a plan for complete absorption of the ODMHSAS to be in
place by June 30.
Stitt announced his desire
to fold the ODMHSAS into the Health Care Authority during his state of the state
address in early February, but little else had been said about it until House
Bill 4064 popped up in the House Rules Committee on
Feb. 27.
The Stitt administration
maintains that merging mental health into the Health Care Authority, which administers
the state’s Medicaid program, would streamline services and reduce overhead.
Language inserted into the
bill on the House floor says the bill’s goal is to “take the first steps to
transition both the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Oklahoma Department
of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to a comprehensive health care
agency, in order to attain a coordinated health care delivery system and
financing to optimize the quality of services provided to Oklahomans.”
Critics, however, say the
Health Care Authority is an “insurance company” with little to no expertise in
delivering medical care. And they point out that neither Loughridge nor OHCA
Executive Director Kevin Corbett have any background in Medicaid, mental health
or health care.
Stitt, though, is counting
on their business experience to create a more effective health care system.
And Mike Brose, who heads
Mental Health Association Oklahoma, says the Health Care Authority previously
administered mental health Medicaid payments without much success.
Those duties were shifted
to the ODMHSAS seven years ago.
“Though the great people at ODMHSAS have made
good strides under the existing disjointed organizational structure, we believe
we can do better for all Oklahomans by fully integrating mental health and
substance abuse services with a much more efficient, coordinated and focused
agency that approaches health from a holistic standpoint.
Brose said he and others
have scheduled meetings next week with state senators in an attempt to head off
HB 4064 or at least slow it down.
“We would welcome a dialogue,” he said. “But to put all of
these services under the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is an absolute
non-starter for us.”
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