Save money? Good idea!
Let’s see, if I skip my regular car maintenance for the rest of this year, I can save, maybe, $60. Or how about the roof that is starting to leak in that one spot? Well, it’s going to stop raining soon, and I can save $100 on a patch job — next year is good enough. Oh yes, the faucet in the shower is leaking badly, but what the heck, no need to call a plumber, I’ll just close the door so I can’t hear it and save another $80.
Sound familiar? Most of us have done that kind of thinking at one time or another. But we usually find out, as the old motor oil commercial said, that it’s, “Pay me now or pay me (more) later.”
Many taxpayers in Oregon may think it’s a good idea to save money by skipping essential health services to mentally ill individuals. But saving money now may end up costing more later — in dollars and human suffering.
For example: In February, the state removed 290 people with mental illness from services that made it possible for them to work, take care of themselves and pay taxes. The various programs that provided them with employment opportunities, supervision, job training, on-the-job visits, skills training and transportation have ended.
Which part of our society is paying the price while the state is saving money? Hospitalization, homelessness, crime, and death exact different kinds of costs.
In February, the state also cut medication and treatment for 3,700 children with mental illness or severe emotional disturbance. Without the medication and treatment, these children are unable to function in the community or succeed in school. In addition, 132 non-Medicaid and 32 Medicaid Psychiatric Day Treatment slots for children were eliminated.
All of these cuts deprived the children who were affected of access to critical treatment in times of psychiatric crisis. Costs will shift to schools, the juvenile justice system and in-patient care. The costs will compound as these untreated children grow into adulthood.
Funding of community mental health services for non-Medicaid adults has been cut, denying treatment for 10,500 people with mental illness. Most will no longer be able to function in the community; those with jobs are likely to be unable to keep working and may end up being civilly committed or may commit crimes.
That may already have happened in some cases.
In all these instances, the state “saved” money in the desperate attempt to re-balance the General Fund budget because of decreased tax revenues. It will continue to “save” if the Legislature can’t find the money pay for those services in the coming biennium.
But at how much greater cost — to the state and to the thousands of mentally ill individuals who lost their critically needed help — will those savings come?
It’s as the commercial said: “Pay me now or pay me later.”