Bruce Cruser
Our state mental hospitals are full and the pandemic has brought an already stressed system to a crisis point.
The impact of overcrowding at Virginiaâs nine state psychiatric hospitals has renewed calls for the state to build more hospitals. The lack of an inpatient bed means some adults and children in crisis are waiting indefinitely in emergency departments for an available psychiatric placement. If subject to an involuntary commitment order, they may be waiting in handcuffs with a law enforcement officer required to be present.
This is not the way we should treat someone living with a serious illness. There is an immediate need for solutions, but Virginia already has one of the highest numbers of state psychiatric beds per capita.
Listen • 3:31 A map shows North Carolina s managed care regions. The state is switching to a new Medicaid system Thursday.
Thursday is a big day for Medicaid in North Carolina.
The state is officially switching to a new Medicaid system called a “managed care” model.
That means 1.6 million Medicaid recipients will receive health care through
plans managed by a small group of companies. Instead of paying doctors directly for their services, the state will pay companies that will then pay doctors who treat Medicaid recipients.
About 40 other states use this model, according to the
Kaiser Family Foundation. The goal is to save money and improve care.
Big Change To NC Medicaid System Takes Effect Thursday wfae.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wfae.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Beneficiaries Worry About North Carolina s Medicaid Transformation wunc.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wunc.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.