CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State lawmakers are considering options for the operation of the seven state-run health care facilities.
A legislative interim committee got an update last week on the state Department of Health Facilities work with Lument Securities, an advisor in health care company acquisitions, to develop a long-term strategy for the facilities.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said at some point the hospitals and clinics will probably be transferred to the private sector.
“Long-term the solution probably is that ultimately those facilities end up in the hands of private parties that operate facilities like this because we arguably should not,” Hanshaw said last week on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Hanshaw said the long-term care facilities are outdated, expensive to operate, and could likely be operated at a savings by a private entity. He said some of the facilities that serve residents with more chronic mental issues could see more creative solutions to ensure the quality care is delivered.
“There’s much less of an opportunity for a private sector acquisition of our psychiatric facilities, but a private sector operator of state-owned facilities? Yes, that business model exists in this economy, and there may be some wisdom in pursuing that approach,” Hanshaw said.
He said there will always likely be in a place where the state of West Virginia has responsibility for psychiatric care. Hanshaw
Now, how we staff it and how we manage it is still up for discussion,” he said.
Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, said a recent audit that lawmakers learned of at interim meetings came prior to the split of the Department of Health and Human Resources into three entities: the West Virginia Department of Health, the West Virginia Department of Human Services, and the West Virginia Department of Health Facilities.
“My understanding is from visiting the John Manchin Senior Health Care Center and others is that since we’ve had a Department of Facilities this last year, a number of these things have improved,” Garcia said. “They’ve actually looked at how to improve pay and how to improve administration.”
Garcia isn’t as sure there would be a private entity that would take on the operation of psychiatric facilities in Weston, Huntington, and Welch. Challenges in psychiatric care include the high cost of specialized workers, generally low reimbursement rates from government programs, and inconsistent insurance coverage.
“A couple of years ago we had an in-patient facility at the Fairmont Medical Center that related to behavioral health and it’s not running anymore and when I asked why, it’s because it didn’t make sense financially.” Garcia said.
Because of those economic factors, Garcia is confident the state government will always play a role in the care for some of the chronic patients. Generally, Garcia favors maintaining all seven facilities under state control rather than taking a chance on the quality of care offered in a for-profit market.
“If someone isn’t allowed in—dementia patients, difficult patients, and patients that make it harder to create a black bottom line—and if that’s the case, we need to fill that gap,” Garcia said.