Changes in mental health funding may lead to tax hike

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

The Henry County Board of Supervisors met with Sarah Kaufman, county CPC, and Todd Meyer, Insight Human Services administrator, on Tuesday morning to discuss how the county handles mental health care.

?We?ve realized that we cannot continue in the current system,? summarized Marc Lindeen, supervisor chairman, saying the purpose of the meeting was to come up with a game plan for the future.

With the current version of state legislation on mental health funding, the county will still be required to fund mental health services, but it will not be receiving any funding from the state.

?Whether they give you funds or not, you have a charge in the law to care for these people,? summarized Meyer. How the county will pay for these services without the state funding is still to be determined.

?We basically have one fiscal year to figure this out,? said Kaufman, as changes are slated to go into effect in 2013.

According to numbers provided by Kaufman, once new changes in health care funding go into effect on both the state level in 2013 and the national level in 2014, the county would still have to fund about $1.3 million for mental health services. The county has the ability to levy up to $846,000. However, that still leaves a difference of over $500,000.

?We cannot come up with half a million dollars,? said White.

County Auditor Shelly Barber said that if the county is required to, it could raise the general levy.

?Basically, we?re looking at raising our levy 80 cents to one dollar to come up with that over half million,? said Barber. Currently the levy is set at $1.20 to get the $846,000.

Another option facing the county is potentially cutting services.

?They?re going to force counties to provide only required services,? said Meyer.

However, as Kaufman pointed out, the state will be requiring a set of core services to be provided.

One possible solution, suggested by Meyer, is allowing a private group buy out Insight Human Services from the county.

?I?ve got a group of people that are interested in buying it,? said Meyer. ?I don?t think that?s going to solve your long term issues, but it can help you stretch out.?

Meyer explained that the county would still own the building and he would like to pay the county a competitive rate for rent, with the county taking responsibility for maintenance on the building.

White was hesitant to accept such a drastic change.

?Somehow this seems like such a permanent, radical decision,? said White.

One of the benefits of IHS privatizing is that it would allow Meyer to renegotiate his rates. Currently the program?s reimbursement rate, which is set by the state, is much lower than the cost of operation so the program is losing money. However, by buying IHS from the county, it would be a new entity and the rates could be renegotiated.

?From a budgetary standpoint, I would tell you to let it go,? Kaufman told the supervisors. On the other hand, she said, she would advise them not to as the county needs the services provided by IHS.

?As a funder of service, I say we need that provider in the system,? said Kaufman.

Meyer said that although he couldn?t predict the future for IHS, it would probably go to a more site-based program.

Supervisor Chairman Marc Lindeen asked Meyer to put together some concrete numbers to bring to the supervisors so that they can consider the options.