Southwest Washington Regional Health Care Advisory Committee to meet Aug. 31

Vancouver, Wash. - The Southwest Washington Regional Health Care Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, Aug. 31, from 10 a.m. to noon in the sixth-floor Hearing Room of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. The meeting is open to the public. 

State agency representatives will present data comparing the region's Early Adopter performance for Medicaid integration to other areas of the state where medical, mental health and substance use programs have not been integrated. 

Representatives of Apple Health Medicaid managed care organizations will report on their integration work, and a Beacon Health Options official will discuss pending changes to the regional behavioral health crisis system. An Accountable Community of Health official will provide an update on a Medicaid demonstration project. 

The Health Care Advisory Committee consists of a member of the legislative body for Clark and Skamania counties, a state senator and a state representative from each county, a representative of any local tribe and a consumer representative from the regional Behavioral Health Advisory Board. 

The committee meets up to three times a year to help ensure the region's integrated health care system continues to meet the needs of the most vulnerable after physical and behavioral health services were absorbed by Medicaid managed care. 

With integration, the financial risk for behavioral health services moved to managed care organizations overseen by the Washington State Health Care Authority. Counties retained some financial risk and full responsibility for services offered through the local criminal justice systems, Public Health and 10-year homeless plans.