Texas Association of Behavioral Health Systems Created to Address Access, Funding Crisis

New Trade Association Sets Advocacy Agenda for the 2025 Texas Legislature

AUSTIN, Texas, July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of freestanding behavioral health systems created the Texas Association of Behavioral Health Systems (TABHS) to serve as a unified voice that's mission is to help Texas policymakers identify solutions for addressing the state's behavioral health crisis. 

The TABHS founding members include Acadia Healthcare, Oceans Healthcare, Lifepoint Health, Signature Healthcare Services, SUN Behavioral Health, Summit BHC, Palm Behavioral Health and Universal Health Services (UHS.) The organization represents more than 65 freestanding behavioral health hospitals in rural and urban communities across the state. 

Texas freestanding behavioral health hospitals are licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and provide inpatient, outpatient and crisis stabilization treatment for the entire age spectrum of Texans, from children to seniors. In addition, Texas behavioral health hospitals accept all insurance, including commercial and government payers, such as Medicaid, Medicare and TRICARE. 

In many Texas communities, freestanding behavioral health hospitals serve as the sole mental health provider and act as a safety net in the state's mental health system.

"We recognize our lawmakers and state leaders have placed a great emphasis on bolstering our mental health system, and we do not want to lose momentum," Stuart Archer, Chairman of the TABHS and CEO of Oceans Healthcare, said. "We're reaching an inflection point as private behavioral hospitals and units are closing, services are underfunded and citizens are waiting far too long for care. Our members are on the front lines in communities across the state, and we have a first-hand understanding of the crisis. Behavioral health services are needed now more than ever, and we need to do everything we can to ensure our providers have the resources they need to do their jobs."  

Despite lawmakers' recent investments, the state's behavioral health system remains strained under increasing demand, staffing challenges and low reimbursements. In turn, these factors put pressure on local jails, hospital emergency departments, community-based psychiatric hospitals, school systems and private behavioral health providers:

• Texas ranks dead last in access to mental health services.
• Texas features more than 350 individuals for every one mental health provider.
• More than 200 counties have an insufficient ratio of mental health providers for their population.
• Almost all 39 local mental health authority districts in the state report having a wait list weeks or months long.
• The Texas Medicaid rates for private freestanding psychiatric inpatient services have not witnessed a payment increase since 2008.

TABHS is working with lawmakers now to identify solutions for the 2025 Texas Legislature:

• Increase Medicaid rates for private freestanding psychiatric services, which would allow providers to continue providing care to patients with severe behavioral health issues.
• Remove the Institutes of Mental Disorder (IMD) exclusion, which would allow Medicaid to reimburse for care for adults 21 to 64 in hospitals or treatment facilities with more than 16 beds.
• Expand the array of mental health services available on an outpatient basis under Medicaid, such as intensive outpatient therapy and partial hospitalization.
• Increase capacity for private behavioral health providers to contract with the state for competency restoration services, civil commitments and local mental health authority contracted beds.

"We're a big, diverse state facing a real crisis that impacts every Texan, whether we are a patient, family member or a taxpayer," Joe Gallagher, TABHS board member and Regional Vice President at Universal Health Services, said. "Every day, our hospitals are helping Texans get back to their families, back to work and back to the things that they love to do. But we cannot meet the increasing demand alone. We're hopeful our efforts will encourage common sense actions and investments that will set the stage for a strong behavioral health system."

About TABHS
To learn more about the Texas Association of Behavioral Health Systems, visit www.tabhs.com.

Media Contact:
Bobby Hillert
Texas Association of Behavioral Health Systems
[email protected]

SOURCE Oceans Healthcare