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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