Regional Executive Director of the Central Region Marilyn Sliney provides a sense of the potential payment reform challenges ahead for the region in GVWire’s article, “Fresno Children Face Long Waits for Mental Health Care. Is Payment Reform Making It Worse?”
The article shares findings, critiques and recommendations from a report produced by the California State Auditor’s office. It details the long wait times for appointments and suggests that new restrictions on payment reimbursements may cause providers to reduce services, compounding the delays in wait times and decrease access to care.
While telehealth is an option for those who need in-person care, Marilyn says that clients also, “…need someone there to connect with them, to be with them, to provide their services in person in their communities and in their schools to help to be able to address the really complex needs.”
Read the full article here.