State wastes treatment money

The State of Illinois is wasting money in the area of housing and treatment for the mentally ill.

Right now Illinois pays to keep more than 12,000 mental patients in nursing homes. That is expensive, and nursing homes are generally poorly equipped and staffed to provide appropriate treatment for mental patients. To make matters worse, Medicaid generally regards these placements for mental patients as substandard, and so will not reimburse the state for them. Illinois also keeps large numbers of mental patients in prison, another very expensive placement which obviously provides inappropriate treatment, and which also generally gets no Medicare reimbursement.

There is a better and cheaper alternative, namely permanent supportive housing. Many studies, including one prepared for the National Governor's Association (NGA), have shown that permanent supportive housing is cheaper than the alternatives. Furthermore, it is better treatment, for when those with mental illness have the security and safety of a place to call their own, their symptoms are generally alleviated; they need fewer visits to emergency rooms; they are less likely to end up in mental hospitals, which are very expensive, by the way; and they are much less likely to get into trouble with the police and end up in jail. Even better, Medicaid will reimburse the state for much of the cost of maintaining people with mental illness in permanent supportive housing.

The NGA report, entitled "Supportive Housing for People with Mental Illness: Regaining a Life in the Community," calls on the states to develop supportive housing plans and to create housing trust funds to implement them.

If the General Assembly does so, Illinois will be able to provide better treatment for the mentally ill, will save money and will reap substantial reimbursement for services from Medicaid. What are we waiting for?

Hugh Brady

President

NAMI Barrington Area

Palatine