The House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health Care heard testimony on Tuesday, May 26 from providers and health officials on the troubled state of behavioral health in Oregon. Increased challenges lie ahead as services will be slashed due to COVID-19 budget cuts.
The behavioral health care system in Oregon already faces a high turnover rate, and struggles to retain talented professionals – due to a lack of fair compensation and for many, crippling student loan debt.
On average, counselors make around $53,600 and a year, and student loan debt can be upwards of $150,000 for new providers.
A proposal from the Oregon Health Authority plans to slash the agency budget by $3 billion, resulting in a $370 million loss of revenue. Specifically, Oregon State Hospital would see a loss of $42 million and Medicaid, $233 million – a major financier of behavioral health care.
Overall, Oregon has seen nearly $3 billion lost in revenue due to the pandemic.
“Our system will be decimated, and we cannot do more with less,” commented Ebony Clarke, director of mental health and addiction services at Multnomah County Health Department.
Clarke pointed to increased anxiety and feelings of isolation among patients with behavioral health challenges – especially those in crisis.
To meet the needs of these individuals, health care providers have resorted to telehealth video conferencing and telephone calls.
In Oregon, an emergency waiver was granted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services which allows fiscal flexibility to providers prescribing telehealth.
Telehealth has seen its ups and downs thus far. For some, two 25-minute sessions via phone or video conference are more manageable, or less stress-inducing, than the standard 60-minute in-person appointment.
However, for those who struggle with access to these services – due to location, financial strain, or technological ineptitude – telehealth has proved inadequate.
Providers presented both short and long term solutions to lawmakers at the Tuesday meeting.
Rep. Duane Stark (R-Grants Pass) suggested behavioral health checkups for patients, similar to physical checkups. If performed regularly, Stark said these could reduce stigma and prevent crisis, via early detection of distress among patients.
One long-term solution, presented by chief medical officer Dr. Jeffrey Eisen at Cascadia Behavioral Health in Portland, was state provided payment reform to create more sustainable funding.
Others advocated for student loan forgiveness and better compensation to those in the field.
By Stevie Beisswanger
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