Florida Parishes Human Services Authority's Service Delivery Affected by Self-Generated Revenue Shortfalls, Budget Cuts

An evaluation of the Florida Parishes Human Services Authority’s (FPHSA) transition from the Louisiana Behavioral Health Partnership (LBHP) to Bayou Health found that FPHSA is able to provide services to its clientele, account for monies received, and adequately reconcile and report on such revenues. However, the Authority is still not reaching its self-generated revenue budget and its delivery of services has been affected by budget cuts, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

The LBHP ended on November 30, 2015, and the state shifted Medicaid-funded behavioral health services into Bayou Health, the Medicaid managed care system. As a result of the transition and of the implementation of a new Electronic Health Records system, the Authority has had problems with billing and receiving payments on claims, which has affected its ability to collect self-generated revenue, the state auditor said.

The Authority’s inability to collect its budgeted amount of self-generated revenue is not new. In fiscal year 2015, the Authority collected 85% of its budgeted self-generated revenue. However, in fiscal year 2016, the Authority was only able to collect 75% of its budgeted self-generated revenue, despite a reduction in the total amount.

The inability to collect all budgeted self-generated revenue essentially becomes a budget reduction for the authority, which is primarily absorbed by not filling vacant positions. As of March 2016, the FPHSA was unable to fill 42 vacant positions, and from March to June 2016, all staff members were on furlough one day per pay period. The vacant positions, in turn, affect staff caseloads and client waiting times and have an impact on the ability to provide services.