Health News IL: Study: Hospitals are not meeting demand for pediatric psychiatric beds

The state’s Medicaid managed care rolls dipped 1 percent in June, according to recent data from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Enrollment in HealthChoice Illinois was 2,588,251 as of July 1, down from the 2,615,362 enrolled on June 1.

All five health plans saw a drop in their Medicaid rolls.

As of July 1, enrollment totals were:

• Aetna Better Health – 363,350 (1.1 percent decrease from June 1)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois – 713,517 (0.8 percent decrease)
• Molina Healthcare – 303,222 (1.3 percent decrease)
• CountyCare Health Plan (Cook County only) – 425,553 (0.7 percent decrease)
• Meridian Health Plan – 746,601 (1.3 percent decrease)

Hospitals have not kept up with the demand for pediatric inpatient psychiatric beds, according to a recent study with two co-authors from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Researchers found that bed capacity did not change from 2017 to 2020, despite increases in pediatric mental health emergency visits. Over 90 percent of pediatric inpatient beds are in urban centers, which researchers said raises concerns about access for rural youth.

Dr. Jennifer Hoffmann, an emergency medicine physician at Lurie’s Children and an assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said that the situation forces patients “to wait for hours or even days in emergency departments or on medical units until a psychiatric bed becomes available.”

“Every child deserves access to psychiatric care,” she said in a statement. “The lack of psychiatric beds for children in some areas places a significant burden on families, emotionally and financially.”

Hoffmann said early detection of mental health concerns and prevention of mental health emergencies for young people can be part of the solution. Along with primary care and school-based health centers, the 988 lifeline can be another tool to help.

A new law will outline training for first responders on how to access a patient’s medical information within a cellphone’s health app.

The law, effective next year, tasks the Department of Public Health to approve training guidelines, which will cover emergency medical service personnel and law enforcement.

The goal of the law is to ensure emergency personnel know an individual’s allergies to certain food or medications or if they are taking medications that may interact with another drug or medical treatment, said Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Lake Forest and bill sponsor.

“Taking preemptive measures to improve the health and safety of our community is a legislative priority,” she said. “To make the most of this law going into effect, I urge you to update your medical information in your phone’s health app.”