County's Mental Health Dilemma

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): County health officials must now decide whether to kick mental health patients out of Marin General Hospital's psychiatric unit after three days or foot the extra cost for additional hospitalization. An alliance of 34 counties, including Marin, have been responsible for providing health-care services to indigent adults since 1983, when California law transferred that responsibility from the state to counties. This association, the County Medical Services Program, has decided to limit mental health hospital stays to 72 hours per episode and 10 days per fiscal year. The change took effect Oct. 1. Currently, the average length of stay at Marin General's 17-bed psychiatric unit is six days, said the county's director of community mental health, Bruce Gurganus. A failed suicide attempt is a common reason for hospitalization in the locked facility. "Of course what happens after the three days is the county ends up being the payer of last resort," Gurganus said. "We do believe there will be additional cost, and we're making a mid-year budget adjustment to cover that." Gurganus said he had no estimate yet as to how much the change will cost the county this year.