Northwest Public Broadcasting reports Idaho officers warned that changes affecting ACT services could increase mental health calls, holds, jail use and court cases.
Law enforcement concerns
Northwest Public Broadcasting reported that Idaho law enforcement officials raised concerns during a Region II Behavioral Health Board meeting about cuts affecting Assertive Community Treatment, or ACT. NWPB described ACT as an intensive treatment program for people with severe mental health disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, when other therapies have been ineffective.
According to NWPB, providers contracted by the state said that, as of Dec. 1, grouped services including ACT were no longer paid as a bundle. Some key elements of those services were no longer billable under Medicaid, NWPB reported.
Potential impact on local response
NWPB reported that Latah County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Shane Anderson expected more mental health-related calls as people lose support services. Anderson said services that operated in the background had helped keep people from hospitalization or incarceration, according to NWPB.
Orofino Police Chief Vince Frazier said, according to NWPB, that eliminating mental health services could lead to more people repeatedly entering jail. Frazier also said deputies responding to mental health calls may be unable to perform other duties.
NWPB reported that the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association sent a letter to Gov. Brad Little and several lawmakers predicting higher call volumes, involuntary patient holds, incarceration and court cases as a result of the cuts.
State actions and provider response
According to NWPB, statewide cuts, including Medicaid changes, followed Gov. Little’s Aug. 15 executive order to reduce general fund spending. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced a 4% reduction in Medicaid provider pay rates on Aug. 22, NWPB reported.
NWPB reported that the department said it had worked with Magellan, the state’s Medicaid administrator, on provider rate reductions and changes to optional services to meet required budget holdbacks. The department released information following public comment and an access analysis, according to NWPB.
The department’s notice did not mention unbundling previously grouped services such as ACT, which providers said effectively defunded the programs, NWPB reported. NWPB also reported that a lawsuit was filed in late November on behalf of ACT recipients who said losing the program would increase their risk of hospitalization or incarceration.
What this means for Idaho patients
NWPB’s report describes uncertainty around services that may help some people remain supported outside hospitals or jails. For Idaho residents seeking treatment locally, the directory lists 37 published clinics in Idaho.
This is general information, not medical advice.
More Idaho reporting on policy & funding.
This report is educational and is not medical advice. Coverage, availability and eligibility can change; verify details with the named source or your care team.