The Oklahoma Health Care
Authority (OHCA) and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance
Abuse (ODMHSAS) held a Behavioral Health Advisory Council Meeting at the
Oklahoma Capitol regarding the budgetary updates for 2016 on December 9, 2015.
OrionNet Systems sent two of
their staff to learn the upcoming changes for the New Year.
“We want to minimize any
negative effects that the budget updates for next year may cause our clients,”
said Clyde Wafford, president of OrionNet Systems. “We are watching the state
site for news of changes so we and our clients can be prepared.”
Nico Gomez, the CEO of the
Oklahoma Health Care Authority, spoke on the budget updates during the meeting.
He stated that improvements will not occur in the budget.
“We received too few State dollars
[for 2016] and the need is higher than received,” said Gomez. “We received too
few State dollars for 2015, and in a few weeks we’ll receive less state
dollars.”
Beginning January 1, 2016 a
3% cut in Behavioral Health rates by the State and possibly again in September
2016 could occur.
Gomez expressed concern that
the Behavioral Health budget will keep getting cut and will not rebound.
“$400 million has already
been cut in the last few years,” said Gomez.
The State budget for
Behavioral Health is $1 billion less than last year. The State cut $6 billion
in 2014 for 2015.
Gomez stated that state
revenue failure could cause more substantial cuts for 2017 and that he did not
like the indicators for 2017, indicators that were not provided during the
meeting.
The OHCA are trying to make
provider rates a priority.
“Provider rates will either stay
current or will get cut; if our goal is to provide services to all people and
we keep getting provider rates cut, we will lose providers,” said Gomez.
Gomez stated that they have increased
providers in the past but now have to cut who is added to the program. Presently
there are 515 providers certified with the State.
“All non essential spending
will be removed or will have to be given up on,” said Gomez. “All groups will
be cut 5% to 10% across the board. As there was not enough time to vet the
least impact options, the State has decided to cut the budget for 2016. They
are still looking at under utilization reports to help guide where to cut from if
additional flexibility is not taken.”
Governor Mary Fallin has asked
to pull contracts with Planned Parenthood.
Some people on the OHCA board
and in the audience expressed concern that their Medicare contracts would be
pulled and that this will affect women’s health in remote areas of the State,
and that the Governor may pull a contract for political reasons.
Law changes will also go in
effect in 2016 including alcohol laws changes, sentencing law changes, possession
law changes, and reform substance abuse changes.
Clyde Wafford, president of OrionNet
Systems, has stated that his team will keep up-to-date on any changes the State
may make in the coming year in hopes that some pressure can be taken off of his
clients.
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.
About the Oklahoma
Health Care Authority
The Oklahoma Health Care
Authority is the primary entity in the state of Oklahoma charged with controlling costs of
state-purchased health care. https://www.okhca.org/providers.aspx?id=16525
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