New Trade Association Sets Advocacy Agenda for
the 2025 Texas Legislature
AUSTIN,
Texas, July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition
of freestanding behavioral health systems created the Texas
Association of Behavioral Health Systems (TABHS) to serve as a
unified voice that's mission is to help Texas policymakers identify solutions for
addressing the state's behavioral health crisis.
The TABHS founding members include Acadia Healthcare, Oceans
Healthcare, Lifepoint Health, Signature Healthcare Services, SUN
Behavioral Health, Summit BHC, Palm Behavioral Health and Universal
Health Services (UHS.) The organization represents more than 65
freestanding behavioral health hospitals in rural and urban
communities across the state.
Texas freestanding behavioral
health hospitals are licensed by the Texas Health and Human
Services Commission and provide inpatient, outpatient and crisis
stabilization treatment for the entire age spectrum of Texans, from
children to seniors. In addition, Texas behavioral health hospitals accept all
insurance, including commercial and government payers, such as
Medicaid, Medicare and TRICARE.
In many Texas communities,
freestanding behavioral health hospitals serve as the sole mental
health provider and act as a safety net in the state's mental
health system.
"We recognize our lawmakers and state leaders have placed a
great emphasis on bolstering our mental health system, and we do
not want to lose momentum," Stuart
Archer, Chairman of the TABHS and CEO of Oceans Healthcare,
said. "We're reaching an inflection point as private behavioral
hospitals and units are closing, services are underfunded and
citizens are waiting far too long for care. Our members are on the
front lines in communities across the state, and we have a
first-hand understanding of the crisis. Behavioral health services
are needed now more than ever, and we need to do everything we can
to ensure our providers have the resources they need to do their
jobs."
Despite lawmakers' recent investments, the state's behavioral
health system remains strained under increasing demand, staffing
challenges and low reimbursements. In turn, these factors put
pressure on local jails, hospital emergency departments,
community-based psychiatric hospitals, school systems and private
behavioral health providers:
- Texas ranks dead last in
access to mental health services.
- Texas features more than 350
individuals for every one mental health provider.
- More than 200 counties have an insufficient ratio of mental
health providers for their population.
- Almost all 39 local mental health authority districts in the
state report having a wait list weeks or months long.
- The Texas Medicaid rates for private freestanding psychiatric
inpatient services have not witnessed a payment increase since
2008.
TABHS is working with lawmakers now to identify solutions for
the 2025 Texas Legislature:
- Increase Medicaid rates for private freestanding psychiatric
services, which would allow providers to continue providing care to
patients with severe behavioral health issues.
- Remove the Institutes of Mental Disorder (IMD) exclusion, which
would allow Medicaid to reimburse for care for adults 21 to 64 in
hospitals or treatment facilities with more than 16 beds.
- Expand the array of mental health services available on an
outpatient basis under Medicaid, such as intensive outpatient
therapy and partial hospitalization.
- Increase capacity for private behavioral health providers to
contract with the state for competency restoration services, civil
commitments and local mental health authority contracted beds.
"We're a big, diverse state facing a real crisis that impacts
every Texan, whether we are a patient, family member or a
taxpayer," Joe Gallagher, TABHS board member and Regional Vice
President at Universal Health Services, said. "Every day, our
hospitals are helping Texans get back to their families, back to
work and back to the things that they love to do. But we cannot
meet the increasing demand alone. We're hopeful our efforts will
encourage common sense actions and investments that will set the
stage for a strong behavioral health system."
About TABHS
To learn more about the Texas Association
of Behavioral Health Systems, visit www.tabhs.com.
Media Contact:
Bobby Hillert
Texas Association of Behavioral Health Systems
bobby@tabhs.com
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SOURCE Oceans Healthcare