Bay County commissioners approve resolution asking state to release Medicaid funds after behavioral health authority warns of shortfalls

Bay County Board of Commissioners on April 15, 2025, unanimously approved a resolution requesting that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) push out the fiscal-year appropriation for behavioral health and review Medicaid payment rates. The action followed a presentation by Christopher Pinter, CEO of the Bay Area and Behavioral Health Authority, who described rising service demand and structural funding shortfalls.

Pinter told commissioners the authority has seen markedly higher clinical need since 2023, driven largely by children and families coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have blown past all of our pre‑COVID numbers for service demand," Pinter said, noting increases in several service areas.

The authority cited specific changes in demand and financing: inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations admitted locally rose about 30% over two years; requests for home‑based children and family services rose about 38% in two years; and access to autism services increased roughly 50% over two…