Abstract
Over the past 20 years, states have increasingly moved away from centrally financed, state-operated facilities to financing
models built around community-based service delivery mechanisms. This paper identifies four important broad factors to consider
when developing a funding formula to allocate state funding for community mental health services to local boards in an equitable
manner, based on local community need: (1) funding factors used by other states; (2) state specific legislative requirements;
(3) data availability; and (4) local variation of factors in the funding formula. These considerations are illustrated with
the recent experience of Ohio using available evidence and data sources to develop a new community-based allocation formula.
We discuss opportunities for implementing changes in formula based mental health funding related to Medicaid expansions for
low income adults scheduled to go into effect under the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
models built around community-based service delivery mechanisms. This paper identifies four important broad factors to consider
when developing a funding formula to allocate state funding for community mental health services to local boards in an equitable
manner, based on local community need: (1) funding factors used by other states; (2) state specific legislative requirements;
(3) data availability; and (4) local variation of factors in the funding formula. These considerations are illustrated with
the recent experience of Ohio using available evidence and data sources to develop a new community-based allocation formula.
We discuss opportunities for implementing changes in formula based mental health funding related to Medicaid expansions for
low income adults scheduled to go into effect under the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-7
- DOI 10.1007/s10597-011-9412-y
- Authors
- Eric E. Seiber, Department of Health Services, Management and Policy, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 5052 Smith Lab, 174 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Helen Anne Sweeney, Ohio Department of Mental Health, Office of Research and Evaluation, 30 East Broad Street, 11th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-3430, USA
- Jamie Partridge, Outcomes Research, Abbott Vascular, 3200 Lakeside Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA
- Allard E. Dembe, Division of Health Services Management & Policy, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 5042 Smith Lab, 174 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Holly Jones, Ohio Department of Mental Health, Office of Fiscal Administration, 30 East Broad Street, 11th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-3430, USA
- Journal Community Mental Health Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-2789
- Print ISSN 0010-3853