Mental health providers in Klamath County are being offered $20,000 retention bonuses by their coordinated care organization to remain in the area for three years.
Cascade Health Alliance, a for-profit CCO, made the offer late last year. It’s unknown how many providers signed the promissory note that included the terms of the offer. When asked that question, Tayo Akins, president and CEO, refused to respond, instead, telling The Lund Report in a written response:
“There is a high need for behavioral health services throughout the state, and especially in rural areas like ours. As we look to have higher behavioral health penetration and sustainable access for our members, Cascade Health Alliance has offered retention bonuses to local behavioral health providers.
“Creating sustainable access to behavioral health services is vital for our community to eliminate avoidable health care gaps and promote optimal health. As we work to enhance our physical and behavioral health integration services, including Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and wrap-around care services, workforce and infrastructure development are important. We are committed to driving the optimal outcomes for our members and having access to qualified providers is a crucial goal to us and for successful care coordination.”
Cascade Health Alliance isn’t alone in heading in this new direction. Umpqua Health Alliance, also known as Architrave Health, increased its behavioral health professionals by 38 percent in the last 24 months after Douglas County turned over its behavioral services contract, CEO Brent Eichman, told The Lund Report in a written response, saying “This model of contract based care delivery has allowed Umpqua Health Alliance to be more agile and responsive to the changing needs of the community while leveraging existing community assets to enhance productivity. “
But when asked if Umpqua had offered retention bonuses to these professionals, Eichman declined to respond.
None of the other CCOs seem to be headed in this direction, following conversations with CareOregon, InterCommunity Health Network and Primary Health of Josephine County.
Concern about Retention Bonuses
Access to psychiatric care is very challenging in rural Oregon, and providing incentives is a way to attract or retain providers to improve access, said Todd Karakashian, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in the Portland area.
“In my view, the question is not whether this is a proper use of taxpayer funds but whether this is a use that will lead to overall lower costs for the taxpayer and better outcomes for the patients. Another important question is whether the CCOs — in this case CHA — are being properly held accountable by the state (Oregon Health Authority) for the costs and outcomes,” he added.
Most likely, CCOs such as Cascade need to pay such hefty bonuses to make sure people in rural communities have access to mental health practitioners, said Royce Bowlin, behavioral health director for the Oregon Health Authority. “Otherwise people wouldn’t be able to receive services.”
The OHA has a contract with the Farley Center, which has put together a behavioral health mapping tool that identifies the gaps in mental health services throughout Oregon. When asked for that information, the OHA declined to comment by press time.
Diane can be reached at [email protected]
