Specifically, the department told lawmakers Tuesday it might need five times more money than the agency recently received from the state for such commitments, according to the article.
The state has provided the Wyoming Department of Health $4.4 million for the past two, two-year budget cycles for the program, called Title 25, the agency’s director, Tom Forslund, said at a budget hearing, according to the report. However, the department incurred $18 million in costs for involuntary commitments in the last budget cycle.
“So the department had to come up with just shy of $14 million internally in order to pay for those costs,” Mr. Forslund said, according to the Billings Gazette.
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead (R) has proposed a budget plan that calls for the state to use as much as $21 million from the state’s $2.6 billion rainy day fund to cover Title 25 costs, the report states.
Mr. Forslund told lawmakers the proposal is a sensible one, and the agency may not ultimately need all of the money.
More articles on healthcare finance:
Partners posts $108M operating loss as insurance division struggles
10 hospital bankruptcies in 2016
A state-by-state breakdown of 80 rural hospital closures
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
