FamilyCare’s addictions and behavioral health providers will start receiving a retroactive 125 percent increase for services rendered starting Nov. 1, according to Cindy Becker, vice president of community and government relations.
“Our members deserve the same attention as commercial insurance patients,” she told the council.
“You put your money where you want your results,” said council chair Jan Tesch, calling the effort a way to “incentivize” mental health. In the past, FamilyCare has similarly matched commercial rates for primary care providers to Medicaid and Medicare populations.
Also as of November, the CCO has given $750,000 to projects connected with nutrition, culturally specific peers for the mentally ill, African-American families and job training, said Mary Zodrow, grants administrator.
Grants have gone to Benson High School, the Gladstone School District, Metropolitan Family Services, Outside In, the Quest Center for Integrative Health and others.
In addition, Unity Center received $2 million to help people having a mental health crisis; $500,000 to Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare for integrated housing, and $100,000 to purchase musical instruments for schoolchildren.
OHA Dispute
Becker also reassured the council that FamilyCare intends to be around in 2016, despite its ongoing dispute with the Oregon Health Authority.
“We’re spending an extraordinary amount of time putting out fires OHA has created,” she said.
The council also heard about FamilyCare’s community health improvement plan focused on youth aged 15-25, who represent more than 18,000 of its members.
As children exit out of foster care, “there is not a lot of support,” said Meg Pitman, director of community partners/transition age youth. FamilyCare intends to help ease that transition, breaking the pipeline to prison. “Doctors don’t know how to deal with that age bracket,” Pitman said.
At a FamilyCare youth-listening session, 45 adolescents described their concerns about confidentiality, stigma and fear of being overmedicated. “I already have an addictive personality,” one wrote during the session. “Don’t give me more pills.”
Jan can be reached at [email protected].
