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Politicians, it’s time to put the money where your mouth is

Every time there is a mass shooting many politicians will say something like, “Guns aren’t the real issue, mental health is the issue.”

We hear the same talking point, again and again, shooting after shooting. So what exactly are politicians doing for mental health?

So far in 2016, Gov. Snyder has proposed in his 2017 budget to change the way mental health programs in Michigan are funded.

Snyder’s $54.9 billion proposal for state spending in the coming year transfers $2.4 billion in Medicaid funding for community mental health services to Medicaid health plans.

Essentially, he has proposed to change the plans to private HMOs. Health officials across the state are against these changes because they claim it would privatize the whole mental health care system, create unnecessary competition between insurance plans and eliminate transparency.

Community mental health offices are tasked with seeking out those people who need the most care, rather than those who will end up costing the least.

Because the governor’s plans don’t create any savings, why change the system? How is this supposed to help people with mental health issues?

We also ask what our local legislators have specifically done for mental health care?

What people with mental issue need are more doctors, therapists and mental health hospitals. They need to know about alternative treatments and therapy programs.

They need affordable medication. This appears to be yet another solution in search of a problem coming from this state’s leadership.

– The Petoskey News-Review

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