| As if to make Morgan's point for him, recent headlines show that our Vermont State Hospital still fails to meet federal certification requirements, because of a failure to provide a safe environment, which results in ineligibility to receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement.
This segment closes out with an explanation of state-level mental health reform efforts, which apparently have resulted in change: a change in the name of reform efforts from "The Futures Project" to "The Transformation Council."
So as we see the budget battle move into its final stages, let's remember that the quality of mental health services are a shame at present levels of funding, and that if we invest to make our services certifiable (pun intended), we can access federal reimbursement funds. That's why they are called investments; they result in a pay-off.
The Legislature has set aside $150,000 in the capital project bill to address problems found at the Waterbury facility last Fall, the last time certification was denied. The bill also included $750,000 to get the ball rolling on securing better facilities.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services denial of certification and recommendations can be found here |
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