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Board backs local control of public behavioral‑health plan, opposes state move to competitively bid PIHP
Summary
The Eaton County Board adopted a resolution June 18 urging the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to preserve locally run prepaid inpatient health plan functions, after testimony from local CMH leaders about services for vulnerable residents.
The Eaton County Board of Commissioners on June 18 approved a resolution opposing a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services plan to competitively bid the region's prepaid inpatient health plan (PIHP) functions and urged that local management of behavioral‑health services be preserved.
Sarah Lurie, chief executive officer of the Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties, told commissioners the change would remove local control. "They've created requirements that will only allow nonprofit health plans, very large health plans ... That will strip the local control and management from the CMHS and really from the counties," Lurie said.
Lurie described the CMHAs' role as the safety net for serious behavioral health needs and said the local authority serves people in their homes and in community‑based settings. "We served last year over 14,000 across the Tri County area and nearly 3,000 are Eaton County residents," she said. Commissioner Pearl Wright, who identified herself as chair of CMH during discussion, said local management allows the authority to provide services that are not always billable but prevent worse outcomes.
Commissioners discussed the policy and then moved and supported a motion to adopt language opposing the state bidding approach and affirming the county's support for local oversight. The motion was moved by Commissioner Haskell and supported on the floor; the board voted in favor (voice vote recorded as "Aye" in transcript). The board also noted that the Michigan Association of Counties has expressed opposition to the state approach.
Why it matters: the PIHP change would affect how Medicaid behavioral‑health dollars are routed and managed locally. County funding and the local CMH structure are part of how the region draws down federal Medicaid funds and coordinates care. Supporters of local management told commissioners that shifting to large external plans risks reduced flexibility and narrower coverage decisions.
Ending: Commissioners approved the resolution and asked staff to record the county's position with MDHHS and to coordinate with regional partners.
