OKLAHOMA CITY – Nearly 600,000 Oklahomans suffering from a substance use disorder may soon lose access to lifesaving treatment services, as proposed cuts from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will force Oklahoma service providers to close their doors.

That’s according to a coalition of treatment providers, who are sounding the alarm after being notified by ODMHSAS that the agency plans to dramatically cut state funding for Oklahoma’s already limited substance use disorder infrastructure.

The proposed cuts include the elimination of Value-Based Payments (VBP) – a model that provides payments for providers who can show they have met positive patient outcomes through enhanced patient services and to close gaps in unreimbursed patient care. These payments, totalling $6 million over a nine-month period, were identified in a March 18 email to providers from ODMHSAS, which gave a termination date of Oct. 1, 2024 – backdating the termination by a full six months.

“Cutting $6 million in funding with just 90 days left in the fiscal year creates an insurmountable funding gap – particularly for small programs,” said Jon Greenwood, CEO Gateway to Prevention. “The cuts are for services already provided under a model that’s been in place since 2021. Providers rely on these quarterly payments to make payroll and balance their books. Simply put, if these cuts are enacted, programs will be forced to lay off staff, turn away patients and even close their doors.”