IMPACT OF MEDICAID MANAGED MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE ON DELIVERY OF SERVICESIN A RURAL STATE - AN AMI PERSPECTIVE

In March 1995 Iowa implemented a statewide mental health cane-out prog ram under a Medicaid Section 1915b waiver. A goal was to provide equal access across counties for Medicaid recipients by introducing a state wide network of service providers. Problems have included the contract or's authorizing only services considered medically necessary for pers ons with serious mental illness, who also need community supports; con tractor staffs lack of knowledge about regional resources and the limi ted availability of community-based services in most rural areas; clie nts' difficulty in gaining access to the new system; denial of inpatie nt hospitalization; untimely provider payments; and lack of education for providers, consumers, and families.