Resolution Opposing Senate Bills 597 & 598

At a meeting of the Board of Commissioners (“Board”) of the County of Ottawa, Ottawa County, Michigan, held at the Ottawa County Fillmore Complex, Board Room, 12220 Fillmore Street, West Olive, Michigan on January 25, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. local time.

PRESENT: Philip Kuyers, James Holtvluwer, Francisco Garcia, Allen Dannenberg, Gregory DeJong, Randall Meppelink, Joseph Baumann, Roger Bergman, Matthew Fenske, Kyle Terpstra, Doug Zylstra
ABSENT: None

The following resolution was offered by Commissioner Gregory DeJong and supported by Commissioner Jim Holtvluwer:

WHEREAS, the Michigan Community Mental Health Act, Public Act 54, was signed into law in 1963 to create the public behavioral health system; and

WHEREAS, the state’s public behavioral health system forms the safety net for some 300,000 of Michigan’s most vulnerable citizens; and

WHEREAS, the state’s public behavioral health system is nationally recognized for its high level of performance – care outcomes, effectiveness, efficiency, proven ability to control costs; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bills 597 and 598 would shift Medicaid financing and managed care functions from the public behavioral health system to a private Medicaid health plan system and eliminate public oversight, public accountability and public governance; and

WHEREAS, the proposals specifically incentivize and prioritize profits to private Medicaid health plans at the expense of the public and the citizens served by the public behavioral health system; and

WHEREAS, the current public system is the fiscally responsible way to manage costs. The overhead of a private health plan is 2.5 times higher than the current public system. In addition,  siphoning profit out of the Medicaid dollars would divert necessary funding for citizens. In short, privatizing the state’s behavioral health system would mean an immediate $300 million loss in dollars for persons served and millions more in the future; and

WHEREAS, the drastic and complex overhaul of the public behavioral health system would threaten the ability of Community Mental Health Service Providers to deliver services, create new costs, new complexity and other barriers to care, putting the mental wellbeing of thousands of Michigan citizens at risk; and

WHEREAS, navigating this change in the midst of a pandemic will only add to the stress and concerns of those served; and

WHEREAS, legislation as significant as Senate Bills 597 and 598 requires more meaningful study, stakeholder involvement, proof of concept and buy-in.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners opposes Senate Bills 597 and 598 in order to preserve the core components and benefits of the current CMH system as described above; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this resolution be sent to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Roger Victory, Representatives Jim Lilly, Brad Slagh and Luke Meerman, Senator Mike Shirkey and Representative Mary Whiteford.

YEAS: Philip Kuyers, James Holtvluwer, Francisco Garcia, Allen Dannenberg, Gregory DeJong, Randall Meppelink, Joseph Baumann, Roger Bergman, Matthew Fenske
NAYS: Kyle Terpstra
PRESENT: Doug Zylstra
ABSTENTIONS: None