PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Those seeking mental health services in the county, may face a longer wait time if reimbursement reductions go through.
Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with Burns & Associates to review rates paid for some of the state’s health services, including mental health services.
Peter McCorison, director of behavioral health services at the Aroostook Mental Health Center says this could lead to a decrease in services.
Funding changes over the last decade have made it more difficult to provide services, McCorison says.
“The contracts that we have to provide services have decreased significantly over the years and have been restricted in a way that makes it more challenging for AMHC to access those funds and utilize them to provide services,” he says.
Media Adviser for the Department of Health and Human Services Samantha Edwards says there are no proposed cuts but instead draft rate models that health care providers are able to review and comment on until May 16, 2016.
“Once the comment period closes, the department and Burns & Associates will review each submission and respond in writing, either accepting the comment and incorporating its recommended changes into the rate model(s) or explaining our disagreement with the comment,” Edwards told The Star-Herald in an email earlier this month.
McCorison says the community is already in need of better access to mental health services.
“There is a need to increase the capacity for psychological services in Aroostook County,” McCorison says.
The County’s two psychologists are currently booked out.
But the center is working to decrease the number of people on waiting lists.
This month, the center’s contract with an out-of-state psychiatrist began. Clients can come into the center and speak to the psychiatrist using the center’s ITV system.
The audio visual system allows the out-of-state psychiatrist and AMCH client to meet without being in the same place physically. The psychiatrist can then review the needs of clients and assess if any medications may support their treatment and recovery.
McCorison says clients are pleased with the service and if all goes well, the project may expand.
“The feedback we’re getting from the clients is that they are happy they can have access to the service and that is working better than they thought it was going to,” McCorison says.
AMHC is also working with primary care physicians to help them meet the needs of their patients with mental health issues.
“Many times with support primary care physicians are meeting the needs of their clients,” he says.
But despite efforts to shorten wait lists, McCorison says the center may struggle to provide services if the proposed fee reductions are put into place.
“Challenges right now are the changes in reimbursement rates,” McCorison says, “Depending on how those go forward they may significantly challenge some services.”
