The Board of County Commissioners in Multnomah County, Ore., greenlit $2.4 million Dec. 11 to partially address a $4.6 million budget gap left when the state’s largest Medicaid provider, CareOregon, rolled back spending for behavioral healthcare, according to a Dec. 19 post on the county’s website.
The budget adjustment allows the health department to retain about 17 jobs through June 2026. Other staffing reductions will primarily affect behavioral healthcare coordination efforts for the county’s adult, youth and jail populations, the website said.
“That intensive outreach and support is going away,” Interim Behavioral Health Deputy Director Jessica Jacobsen said. “Folks will still have access to care coordination through their health plan, but it will not be in-person, and it won’t be long-term.”
CareOregon, facing recent financial pressures, has hired McKinsey & Co. to help tackle its challenges, which has entailed laying off employees.
A spokesperson for CareOregon told Becker’s the decision was made by the Medicaid coordinated care organization Health Share of Oregon, along with county partners. The insurer did not have any additional comment.
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