There Isn't Enough Money!

People who were elected or hired to serve vulnerable members of the Whatcom County community are all reading from the same page these days:

“The taxpayers are stingy, the economy is down, terrorists and Saddam are making us spend money on “preventive wars,” more people are out of work, …. In short, there just isn't enough money to take care of those among us who are vulnerable-our children, our old folks, and our neighbors with serious disabilities.

So, what would you like us to cut back on first? And, second? And, third? ….” Well, what do you want your elected State Senators and Representatives to do for you in Olympia this year? Ok, there isn't enough money to do everything. So, what is most important to your recovery? What would you do in Olympia this year if you were elected to represent you?

Would you vote for these people again if they raised taxes on rich people? If there isn't enough money coming into the government, there are only two choices: raise taxes or cut services to vulnerable people-children, old folks, and people with serious disabilities.

Start now and send a message to the people who represent you in Olympia. Email, call the hotline, send a letter, go see them when they are back here at home. You elected them. They work for all the people! They need to know what you think and what you want. (See the enclosed flyer with names and addresses-use it often over the next few months while the state wrestles with issues of great importance to every community in Washington.)

Talk about Rainbow Center if that's important to you. Talk about problems of getting your medications. Talk about the problems of housing or case management. What do you want them to do?

1. BUDGET: The Governor has proposed a budget which will result in a decrease of about $40 million (when you consider the additional new client load) from today's inadequate funding of the mental illness treatment system. The Senate and the House of Representatives will both work up their own budgets and we need to encourage them to add to the mental health budget, not take more away than is already not enough. By March, they will be trying to bring together the Senate and House proposed budgets into a final Appropriation Bill. So, we have to keep after them all for about 3 months.
2. THE STATE GAU PROGRAM IS REDUCED BY $65.9 MILLION: General Assistance Unemployable is usually the program that individuals who have no other medical coverage can access first. GAU is often the first opportunity for mentally ill individuals in crisis to access mental health treatment and medications. When that is cut, where will people go first? To the mental illness treatment system! Cutting GAU means cutting people's meager incomes and forcing them onto Medicaid sooner-and, it means more people on Medicaid sharing the same budget pie, i.e. less to go around for everyone. Don't cut GAU!
3. MEDICALLY INDIGENT FUNDING IS ELIMINATED TO SAVE $81 MILLION: This program provides funding of hospital emergency services for individuals who are not (yet) on Medicaid and have no other medical coverage. It is often used to help pay for crisis hospitalizations. This cut will significantly impact community hospitals and their ability to treat people in psychiatric crises. Don't cut medically indigent funding!
4. RESTRICTED ACCESS TO EXPENSIVE MEDICATIONS: The Governor proposes a $45 million cut in cost of medications. Half of the medications cost for Medicaid is for drugs used in the treatment of mental illnesses. A preferred drug list is just another name for restricted access. This savings will be achieved by creating barriers reducing access to medications used to treat mental illness such as atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants/anxietals, and mood stabilizers as well as medications used to combat side effects. Not getting the best medications first is bad for your health. Besides that, most law enforcement contacts with people who have an untreated mental illness are because the individuals are not taking medications. Putting more barriers to getting the best (and often most expensive newer) medications will lead to dangerous impacts on public safety. Exempt all drugs used to treat mental illnesses from any restrictions on access!
5. REDUCTIONS TO CHILDREN'S SERVICES: Behavioral Rehabilitative Services “contracts with community agencies for rehabilitation services for children and youth with serious emotional, behavioral, or medical difficulties, who cannot be adequately served in family foster care. Rate increases for grossly underfunded foster care and youth behavioral rehabilitative services were originally forecast to increase by 6.4 %. The Governor's Budget cuts the increase-by $18 million-to an inadequate 2.5 % increase.” Save the children!
6. RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES HAVE SERIOUS GAPS BETWEEN HOSPITAL AND APARTMENTS: The mental health division proved that it needed at least $70 million just to get started at plugging the holes in the residential treatment system. The governor's budget has nothing for that project. In addition, the existing program of secure and non-secure Crisis Residential Centers is eliminated. Invest in appropriate Residential Community Treatment Programs!
7. FUNDING FOR THE TICKET TO WORK PROGRAM PASSED IN 2001 IS GUTTED: This program allows individuals with mental illnesses to return to work without losing Medicaid healthcare services and medications. This is one of the few programs that provide an exit strategy for individuals with mental illness. Fear of not being able to maintaining medication and treatment services is what keeps recovering “consumers” from being able to return to work. Don't cut Ticket to Work!
8. PARITY IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY: Private and employer provided insurance policies in Washington do not cover mental illnesses in the same way that they cover other kinds of illnesses. If they were required to treat mental illnesses in the same way as they treat broken legs or heart disease or cancer, many people-especially children-would be recovering from mental illnesses through their personal insurance programs rather than all people having to rely on Medicaid. Thirty-seven other states have adopted insurance parity regulations. Washington must adopt parity this year!