RAMSEY COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) – Ramsey County is currently reviewing its controversial policy of billing people in crisis after FOX 9 investigators uncovered the county’s practice of sending bills to at-risk people who call the crisis hotline seeking life-saving mental health services.

What Ramsey County says

“Our goal is to collect comprehensive data, establish best practices and learn how other counties that provide similar services are addressing this issue,” a Ramsey County spokesperson said in a statement announcing a review of the policy.

What elected politicians say

Last year, the Ramsey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a fee schedule that includes costs for crisis intervention services.

Board Chair Victoria Reinhardt said she did not know exact information about who would receive the bill at the time of the vote.

“We have a fee schedule that’s pages long and that was a single line item in it,” Reinhardt said, adding that she wanted to learn more about the guidelines after reading our first report.

“It has a price. It has to be paid, but the question is who is going to pay it,” Reinhardt said. “At this point, we have to look at all options. Do we want to cause people additional stress? Absolutely not.”

Who will be billed?

FOX 9 Investigators have obtained records showing Ramsey County has billed more than $1.1 million for mobile crisis intervention services over the past three years.

Ramsey County bills insurance providers, but unlike other counties, it also bills patients directly.

Since last year, the county has billed people in crisis situations at least 745 times after they called the crisis hotline to dispatch a mobile crisis response team.

Change in the law

Mental health advocates say Ramsey County’s policy of billing people in crisis undermines the intent of mobile crisis intervention teams, which serve as an alternative response option to police.

“That will discourage people from calling, and that’s just wrong,” said Sue Abderholden, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota (NAMI).

At least one state lawmaker is willing to change the law to prohibit counties from charging citizens for mobile crisis intervention services.

“I think at this point it is most likely necessary for the legislature to take action,” said Senator Melissa Wiklund (DFL-Bloomington), chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.

“I think that’s something we need to do in the next few weeks and then we can prepare something to discuss and present in January.”

And now?

The internal review of Ramsey County’s mental health crisis billing policies is scheduled to be completed this fall, but any changes will require board approval.

Commissioner Reinhardt said it may take some time for the issue to be addressed at the district level.

“Please let us work through all this, but don’t hesitate to call because it could save your life,” Reinhardt said.