Below is the HillCo client report from the December 11 BHIAC meeting.
The Behavioral Health Integration Advisory Committee (BHIAC) met for their first organizational meeting. Chair Octavio Martinez made suggestions for future meetings and the committee discussed the best way to move forward.
- The committee will meet every three months with the next meetings being held in march and June
- The committee was established through SB 58 and is tasked with developing an integration method for mental health services to be provided through managed care
- Recommendations by the committee and the public must be voted on by June of 2014 and implementation will begin September 2014
- The committees charge expires September 1, 2017
- Legislation regarding the integration excluded the NorthSTAR service area
- An informational presentation was given for the benefit of board members regarding managed care in Texas (the presentation is attached)
- A presentation was given regarding behavioral health services in Texas (the presentation is attached)
- The committee discussed the public recommendation categories and decided that for the next meeting they will break out into small groups with categories assigned to each group to discuss them in order to accomplish more in one meeting ( a handout regarding recommendation categories is attached)
Public Comments
Clayton Travis, Texans Care for Children
- Would like to see advisory committees created this last session to coordinate with SB 7 committee for maximum efficiency
- Would like to see a “Rates” category for the recommendations
Catherine Ligon, Center for Public Policy Priorities
- Parity should be considered and how it could be applied to the behavioral health service integration
- Does not want the definition of “medically necessary” to prevent individuals from receiving behavioral health services
Greg Hirsch, National Alliance of Mental Illness
- There should be regular collaboration between STAR and STAR+
- Multiple providers within a patients near vicinity should be available through all health plans
- There needs to be rigorous HHSC and DSHS oversight of the integration proces