CONCORD, NH – A broad coalition of agencies providing state-supported treatment through Medicaid for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction will gather in Concord on June 12 to raise awareness about a critical funding shortfall in the state.
All providers are facing the difficult choice of having to reduce services, cut the number of treatment beds, layoff staff and require longer wait times for clients if adjustments cannot be made to the Medicaid reimbursement rates currently in place.
“The situation is dire and it’s immediate,” says Cheryl Wilkie, COO of Farnum Center, the largest provider of treatment beds in the state’s Medicaid system. “We are millions of dollars short of what we need from the state to cover basic costs and break even in providing care to our Medicaid clients. We all face dramatic reductions in services if we can’t resolve this before 2019. We are asking the state’s leaders to step in and help us before it’s too late to help those in need.”
In addition to Farnum Center, other providers planning to attend include Families in Transition, Phoenix House, Keystone Hall, Southeastern NH Services, and Green Mountain Treatment, as well as first-responders, clients, and families. The rally is set for 10 a.m. at the Legislative Office Building, 33 N. State St., in Concord.