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State hospitals accredited but rising civil-commitment costs push Health and Welfare to request one-time support
Summary
Department officials reported that all three state psychiatric hospitals are now accredited, enabling Medicaid billing, but the department asked the committee for a $2.6 million one-time general fund supplemental tied to civil-commitment expenditures and explained the 60-day Medicaid billing rule.
Alex Williamson, Legislative Services Office analyst, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that psychiatric hospitalization within the Department of Health and Welfare includes three state hospitals (north in Orofino, south in Blackfoot, west in Nampa) and community hospitalization funding for interim placement costs.
Williamson said a one-time fiscal-year 2025 supplemental request of $2,600,000 from the general fund is tied to increased costs for mental holds and commitments. She told the committee these costs stem from statutory changes in Senate Bill 1327 of 2022 that shifted responsibility for paying certain mental-hold expenses to the state.
Director Alex Adams confirmed that all three…
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