Michigan ends controversial mental health pilot programs

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Oct. 21 ended pilot programs to test whether health plans should manage the care of the state's nearly $3 billion system, the Michigan health department announced, Crain's Detroit Business reported. Part of the reason for the pilots' end was Whitmer's veto of funding that encompassed the controversial program, which faced skepticism and opposition from many mental health providers, administrative organizations and families of the 300,000 patients in the Medicaid behavioral health system in Michigan. Managed care health plans have argued that they can successfully integrate management of behavioral health services with Medicaid physical health coverage, which they already administer. Three pilot programs in Genesee, Saginaw, Muskegon, Lake, Mason and Oceana counties that were supposed to test the ability to integrate physical health and mental health under Medicaid were instead terminated. After two delays on the pilots going back to 2018, the health plans and mental health providers had not been able to reach agreement on how to do it. “After years of work to reach consensus, it has become clear that agreement will not be reached,” Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon said in a statement. “We remain committed to making our behavioral health system work better for all Michiganders, and it is time to look for new ways to achieve this goal.”