November 11, 2024
Advocacy groups representing stakeholders from across the mental health and substance use disorder continuum of care will come together tomorrow morning for a press conference designed to highlight the urgent need for a 7.8% increase in rates/contracts/grants for community-based agencies that are struggling to recruit and retain the workforce they need while keeping up with the myriad (increasing) costs associated with operating the programs and services that must be available to address two public health crises (overdose epidemic and youth mental health crisis) sitting squarely on their shoulders. Now is the time to make an appointment with your local Assembly and Senate lawmakers to introduce yourself / check-in and describe the need for a significant increase that is NOT bifurcated as is the case with the COLA enacted into law earlier this year.
Meet with your elected leader and tell them that agencies that are eligible for the COLA are required to sign attestations each year that guarantee the funds will be spent according to the law. Any gossip or allegations coming from outside sources that allege misspending of these resources should be factually confirmed with the Offices (OMH, OASAS) before your representative buys into this misinformation.
The only ‘scandal’ here is that the state takes months (sometimes close to a year or more) to push the COLA out the door and that the health plans do everything possible to delay or deny accurate and timely payment of rate increases while the state fails to enforce timely payment laws. And this is the opening for you to engage in a related conversation about our request for the state to carve out mental health and substance use disorder services from Medicaid managed care. The scarce resources paid to the MCOs can and should be returned to our continuum of care to address workforce and other burning issues. MCOs are permitted to pocket (on average) 11% (profit + admin) of the funds they are paid by the state to ‘manage’ benefits with no value added and the persistent use of tactics designed to delay or deny payment. As much as $400M/year can be saved and returned to our systems of care simply by carving our services out of Medicaid managed care, flipping a switch and returning the responsibility for our reimbursement to Medicaid Fee for Service.
If you would like assistance setting up a meeting or preparing an agenda for a meeting with your lawmaker just call me! 518 461-8200
THANK YOU!!!