VIRGINIA
The state's mental health system came under the scrutiny of the Virginia legislature and the governor in 2002 and 2003, with a view to expanding community rather than institutional services. The legislature also mandated the creation of task force to examine the needs of people with disabilities and to recommend ways to expand community options.
Mental Health
Lawmakers approved a measure in 2002 that requires the commissioner of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services to establish state and community consensus and planning teams for any restructuring of the mental health system that involves existing state facilities. Each team would develop a detailed plan to include the types, amounts and locations of new and expanded community services; the transition of facility patients to community services; transition of state facility employees; costs of any proposed structure; and a plan for community education.
Governor Mark Warner proposed a major shift in policy toward community mental health care to the legislature at the beginning of 2003. The governor's proposal, Community Reinvestment Project, would redirect nearly $22 million annually from five state mental health institutions to community service boards, which would use the reinvested funds to offer community care to people with mental illness. Officials said that examples of how the funds might be used included establishing a regional behavioral health authority to manage a community program in a vacant hospital building at Central State Hospital and creating regional jail service teams to provide assessment and limited counseling services.
Long-Term Care Insurance
The General Assembly enacted four long-term care insurance laws in 2002. The major provisions of the laws include the following.
- Benefits for long-term care must be reviewed and approved as set forth in regulations issued by the State Corporation Commission that address long-term care insurance.
- Regulations must establish standards for initial filing requirements and premium rate schedule increases.
- The Department of Human Resource Management must establish a plan for providing voluntary long-term care insurance coverage for employees of local government, local officers and teachers.
Nursing Homes
The 2002 legislature reduced Medicaid reimbursement for nursing facilities, permitted drugs to be transferred between a nursing home and a pharmacy for reuse by the indigent free of charge, and provided for the authorization and acceptance of specific certificate of public need applications for new nursing home beds.
Planning and Reports
The legislature also directed the commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services to convene a task force to develop a plan for serving people with disabilities and to implement the recommendations of the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead decision. The task force, which is composed of 65 members, including consumers, family members, advocates, providers and representatives of 15 state agencies, must submit its recommendations by August 31, 2003. The group is gathering data on populations and services and examining the needs of individuals with disabilities in housing, employment, prevention and transition services, qualified providers, and waiver programs.
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