HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

AUDIT & HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET REFORM

March 10, 2003 Hearing Room 50

3:00 PM Tapes 52 - 53

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Ben Westlund, Chair

Rep. Steve March, Vice-Chair

Rep. Jeff Kruse

Rep. Jeff Merkley

Rep. Alan Bates

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Rep. Randy Miller

Rep. Susan Morgan, Vice-Chair

GUEST MEMBERS: Rep. Mitch Greenlick

Rep. Laurie Monnes Anderson

Rep. Gordon Anderson

STAFF PRESENT: Rick Berkobien, Committee Administrator

Kelly Fuller, Committee Assistant

ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting - Public Hearing

Public input on draft recommendations for changes to the Oregon Health Plan and to the State’s Mental Health Services.

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 52, A
003	Chair Westlund	Calls meeting to order and opens public testimony
PUBLIC HEARING
014	Bruce Piper	From Roseburg, has concern about adults losing services that are currently on the OHP. Would like to see add backs durable medical and etc.
089	Rep. Kruse	Asks what do you mean by fringe.
093	Piper	Responds that he meant benefits.
099	Rep. Greenlick	Asks how he ran his programs before.
109	Piper	Responds with informational on how he ran his programs before.
115	Rep. Greenlick	Asks what the other funds were.
124	Piper	Explains what the other funds were.
127	Chair Westlund	Makes comments to the general audience about the cuts and the work they have been doing and discussed the March and May budget forecasts. Asks the group to allow those who have to travel to come up first. He calls Ed Johnsten up to testify.
179	Ed Johnsten	States that he is a disabled worker, has concerns that these cuts will be detrimental.
251	Rep. March	Asks for any questions from the committee and calls the next witness.
256	Rick Treleaven	Introduces himself being from Bend representing Best Care Treatment Services and Mental Health Director for Deschutes and Jefferson County.. Has concerns that we will be losing A&D services and elaborates.
287	Rep. Bates	Asks if he heard him say that he treats the standard population.
290	Treleaven	Responds yes, for A & D.
300	Rep. Bates	Asks if the majority of his care is for OHP standard patients.
305	Treleaven	Responds to the question about OHP standard patients.
311	Rep. Bates	For non resident clients are they most private pay or OHP clients.
318	Treleaven	Responds to the type of clients he sees.
328	Rep. Bates	Asks why the numbers are higher for OHP compared to private pay or individuals.
332	Treleaven	Responds about the higher rates for OHP.
345	Rep. Bates	Asks if in the outpatient programs do you need to have the same percentage.
350	Rep. Greenlick	How does that A & D Block Grant fit into this situation.
365	Treleaven	Responds that he cannot answer that question and continues presentation.
TAPE 53, A
021	Rep. March	Asks if there is a percentage difference in the two counties that he represents.
030	Treleaven	Responds with the differences in the two counties.
045	Rep. Monnes Anderson	Asks what percentage are repeat offenders and what percentage are in the program.
049	Treleaven	Was not prepared for that question but give some elaboration with some rough figures.
055	Chair Westlund	Asks if he can make a distinction between controlled substances and alcohol.
060	Treleaven	Comments that you want to focus on the severity of the usage, not the drug.
065	Rep. Monnes Anderson	Comments that studies showed home visits are very successful in other areas and would like statistics on the same visits on the addiction field.
082	Treleaven	Comments on how the systems works in the addiction field.
104	Rep. Greenlick	Makes comments about chronic disorders related to substance abuse, Asks if DUII has really disappeared.
126	Treleaven	Comments about the money in DUII running out.
140	Rep. Greenlick	Asks questions about diversion programs, if the folks don’t have money for treatment, they will just end up in jail.
148	Treleaven	Comments yes, they will just end up in jail.
166	Chair Westlund	Comments about unitary assessment.
199	Treleaven	Yes, that is his understand as well.
202	Chair Westlund	Comments that we need to discuss the recovery rates for alcoholics and drug addicts.
225	Treleaven	Discusses the joy of providing A&D treatment is when people coming up to him saying that he saved someone’s life. The recovery is a miracle for some.
245	Chair Westlund	Thanks Rick Treleaven for his testimony and calls the next witness.
253	Leslie Ford	Cascadia Behavioral Health Care, begins her testimony, gives examples of those that have lost their services.
363	Chair Westlund	Makes comments about Leslie Ford’s testimony.
378	Ford	Gives more statistics.
383	Rep. Merkley	Asks how many people have lost their coverage in your area.
401	Ford	3000 people have lost their coverage that we serve directly and we serve 21 thousand annually.
TAPE 52, B
003	Rep. Merkley	Comments that 1/3 were from the Medically Needy Program and 1/3 were from OHP Standard and 1/3 were general fund, Asks what she means by general fund.
010	Ford	Responds about what general fund she if referring to.
012	Rep. Merkley	Of those that lost their services, were any of their services restored with the changes we have just made.
016	Chair Westlund	Makes comments about Cascadia surviving and would like her to elaborate about how long they will keep business open for services.
025	Ford	Gave statistics about their services.
028	Rep. Bates	Comments that he has the sense they are yanking the rug out of programs that are finally working and asks if that is a fair assessment.
035	Ford	Comments that this is absolutely right.
038	Rep. Bates	Elaborates and asks if then people will then go back in to the hospitalization process.
040	Ford	Responds that that is correct and elaborates.
045	Rep. Bates	Do you have any idea on what the expense will be to corrections and hospitals.
050	Ford	Comments that it would be really hard to calculate, she does know that many providers will go out of business.
060	Chair Westlund	Comments that will be expensive in this processes to get this though our senses.
065	Ford	Makes comments that she is going to speak to the Lodging Association tomorrow and never thought she would be venturing into this area.
071	Rep. Merkley	Hopes we will not end up with these people un funded, asks if she knows about credible studies in other states on these issues.
080	Ford	As she understands this is the worst that anyone has ever seen, they could sit down and come up with some estimates.
092	Rep. Merkley	Would love to see studies to help with these decisions, comments that it would be very helpful.
100	Ford	Knows some researches that could put something together.
104	Rep. Anderson	If we could put more money into the medications, where in your opinion would we take the money from.
116	Ford	Gives solutions of what the legislators could do.
127	Rep. Anderson	Comments that the voters turned away a tax increase and therefore there is no extra money.
135	Ford	I think we need to look beyond just adding taxes and beyond pitting children against people with disabilities.
138	Chair Westlund	Thanks Leslie for her testimony and calls the next witness.
143	Sheila North	Introduces herself as the Executive Director from DePaul treatment centers in Portland, and begins her testimony.
262	Rep. Merkley	Asks how many treatment beds were lost out of 72 funded beds.
273	North	13 beds were lost.
178	Rep. Merkley	Asks if those still there the balance of those still funded.
285	North	Comments that this population will end up in correction and hospitals.
292	Rep. Merkley	Asks and comments that some in the policy community assumes those who have lost their funding will have family members step up and help with the care and actually there is no one that is going to step up.
300	North	Responds no, with this population it is just a matter of cost shifting, they will either end up on the street, jails or hospitals.
310	Rep. Merkley	Has their been any studies done that have looked at those that have not received treatment and the costs that they imposed on society if you will, verses those who were able to get treatment.
315	North	Cannot give a definitive answer, but knows that most of the people that come to them have come from a referral from a probation officer.
319	Chair Westlund	Asks the people in the audience to let us know what it meant to the state in terms to job in the economy, loss of life, cost shift and what that means to us.
339	Rep. Bates	Was trying to think what was different before we had these programs.
360	North	Makes comments to answer Rep. Bates to the best of her ability.
395	Chair Westlund	Thanks Sheila for her testimony and calls next witness.
TAPE 53, B
004	Mary Botkin	Gives testimony and makes some solutions to the problem.
101	Chair Westlund	Thanks Mary for her testimony and calls the next two witnesses.
106	Martha Strong Morris	Introduces herself as a founding collaborators of the family involvement team in Multnomah County.
108	Ann Hannon	Worker at DHS, she works with parents to get them into treatment.
110	Hannon	Begins testimony.
120	Strong Morris	We are very concerned about this population of children and elaborates.
152	Rep. Merkley	Asks if they have studies that show these children are better off with their mothers after A&D treatment.
164	Hannon	Responds yes, that they do have a study and children benefited behaviorally and developmentally and give more elaboration.
168	Rep. Merkley	So we are not simply that this is a nice thing to have the kids back with their parents, but this will help the children better succeed.
170	Chair Westlund	Makes comments about the populations that did not make it through treatment at all.
176	Strong Morris	Comments that there is different methodology and explains.
180	Rep. Merkley	Would like any of these studies if possible.
182	Hannon	Comments that they will get the stuff to them.
185	Rep. Bates	Asks if any of these studies include children that have been adopted and elaborates.
190	Hannon	Does not believe so, just children in foster care with relatives.
200	Chair Westlund	Calls meeting to a close and adjourns 4:49pm

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A - NONE