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State hospitals accredited; lawmakers probe rising civil commitment and competency restoration costs
Summary
Committee heard that all three state hospitals are now accredited, which allows Medicaid billing, but civil commitment costs have increased and restoration-to-competency admissions have risen sharply, driving supplemental requests.
Alex Leanson (LSO budget and policy analyst) and Alex Adams, director of the Department of Health and Welfare, briefed the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on the psychiatric hospitalization budget, state hospital accreditation, and rising civil commitment and competency-restoration costs.
Leanson said the division budget covers community hospitalization and three state hospitals: State Hospital South (Blackfoot), State Hospital North (Orofino) and State Hospital West (Nampa). He described a fiscal 2025 supplemental request of $2,600,000 (one-time, General Fund) to cover increased costs for mental holds and commitments following statutory changes in 2022.
Leanson told the committee, “Senate Bill 1327 of 2022 changed where the responsibility fell to pay for these mental holds. As a result, the Department of Health and…
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