COUNTY CMH AGENCY - S.B. 591: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
sans-serif">Senate Bill 591 (as introduced 6-17-03)
Sponsor: Senator Bev Hammerstrom
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Social Welfare Act to require a community mental health (CMH) services program established by a single county to be established as a CMH authority, as defined in Section 100a of the Mental Health Code, before contracting with the Department of Community Health (DCH) as a specialty prepaid health plan to provide specialty services and supports, effective October 1, 2003. (The phrase “specialty services and supports” is not defined in either the Social Welfare Act or the Mental Health Code, but is commonly understood to refer to Medicaid-covered services for the seriously mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, and those who suffer from addictive disorders.)
Section 100a of the Mental Health Code defines “community mental health authority” as a separate legal public governmental entity created under Section 205 to operate as a CMH services program. Under Section 205, a county CMH agency or organization that is certified by the DCH may become a CMH authority through an enabling resolution adopted by the board of commissioners of each creating county after at least three public hearings held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. Section 205 identifies powers that a CMH authority has in addition to the powers of a CMH services program.
Proposed MCL 400.109h - Legislative Analyst: Julie Koval
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would require a single-county community mental health board to become a CMH authority in order to contract to provide Medicaid mental health and substance abuse services. Any single-county CMH board that was not reconstituted as a CMH authority by October 1, 2003, would no longer be eligible to provide Medicaid mental health and substance abuse services. If this occurred, other providers, either other CMHs or private entities, would take over the provision of Medicaid services for that county. Such a change would have a clear but indeterminate fiscal impact on both the State and the county.
- Fiscal Analyst: Steve AngelottiS0304\s591sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.