County behavioral health staff negotiating managed-care contract; commissioners discuss homelessness rent fund with $83,000 balance

Skamania County behavioral health staff told the board they met with a managed-care organization (identified in the record as "Thunder") that is pursuing Medicaid managed-care contracts for the region. Staff said the county is the primary Medicaid behavioral-health provider in the county and will need to contract with the managed-care organization to ensure the organization can demonstrate adequate provider network coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Staff said the new managed-care organization would not automatically reassign current patients but could receive new enrollments; providers would continue to have the option to accept or bill the MCO for services. Commissioners asked whether new payers would increase capacity; staff said any effect depends on enrollment assignments and provider capacity.

Separately, commissioners discussed a short-term request to cover rent for a hospitalized resident. Commissioner Alan Musickson reported the county's affordable housing fund currently holds about $83,000 and noted the commissioners, not the homeless housing council, have direct authority to spend those funds. Staff said the homeless housing council reviews funding requests consistent with the five-year homeless plan and that document-recording fees are the revenue source that historically fed the fund. Commissioners and staff discussed that the funding pot has declined, prior commitments exist, and timely processes are needed for emergency requests; staff and partners such as Cascade Columbia Housing and WAGAP may submit requests to the council for review.