Ramsey County is reviewing the fees it charges residents for emergency mental health services after a local television news report about the practice sparked criticism from advocacy organizations.

KMSP-TV on Sunday reported that people who called the county’s crisis help line during mental health emergencies were later billed for the services they received, while neighboring Dakota, Washington and Hennepin counties provide the same services at no cost to residents.

The report said the county charged more than $1.1 million in the past three years for its mobile crisis intervention service, which dispatches a response team to treat residents experiencing a mental health emergency.

Fees

According to a county spokesman, the department of social services charges $62.50 for every 15 minutes that a team spends assessing a patient, plus $1 per minute of travel time.

“These fees are billed to insurance providers whenever possible, otherwise a variety of options are offered to the patient including a sliding fee schedule or payment plan,” county officials said in a statement published Tuesday.

Mental health advocates expressed “deep disappointment” over the revelations in the KMSP report.

In a joint statement released Thursday, Mental Health Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness said they “are extremely concerned to learn that Ramsey County is charging individuals for using mental health crisis services” and called on the county to end the practice.

Ramsey County officials respond

Ramsey County officials say they were taking seriously the feedback shared by members of the community following KSMP’s report.

“Based on this feedback, we are reviewing our mental health crisis fees,” Ramsey County spokesman Casper Hill said in an email Thursday evening. “Our objective is to gather comprehensive data, establish best practices and understand how other counties that offer similar services address this matter. The review will be provided to the board to determine next steps as any changes to the current fee structure require a board action.”

Ramsey County currently has no plans to change how it bills for emergency mental health services.

“The county will continue to bill health insurance providers and only bill individuals when there is no health care coverage or there are copays and deductibles,” Hill said.

Issues raised in report

Among the issues raised in the KMSP-TV report was the fact that the charges for emergency mental health services were not disclosed on the county’s crisis intervention webpage, nor were they listed on its most recent fee schedule.

Ramsey County said Tuesday that it would post “information to our website clarifying the fee and payment options for crisis services” and add the same information to the script used by staffers on its the mental health crisis phone line.

KSMP-TV also noted that the county initially told its reporter that federal law and state funding requirements compelled it to charge residents for the services in question. County officials later acknowledged that both of these statements were false.

“We would like to apologize directly to our constituents for initially providing the incorrect data and any confusion or harm it caused,” the county statement said.

A man who was billed $342 by the county last year for crisis mental health services told KMSP that he worries the charges will discourage people from seeking the care they need.

“We believe it is critical that this life saving service is available to all residents regardless of income,” Ramsey County officials said Tuesday. “We will continue to look at ways to improve our mental health and crisis response service.”

For help

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. More information is available at 988lifeline.org and Save.org.

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The ball simply looks different when it leaves the right foot of rookie kicker Will Reichard. That might explain why the Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Nonetheless, after kicking for Alabama and scoring more points than anybody in the history of college football, Reichard arrived a TCO Performance Center in the spring still needing to prove himself. That’s because the Vikings also had veteran kicker John Parker Romo on the roster.

Not anymore. Though the outcome was never in doubt, Reichard officially won the kicking competition this week when the Vikings cut Romo to fill holes elsewhere on the roster. Now the biggest thing is making sure Reichard doesn’t get complacent.

Not that special teams coordinator Matt Daniels seems to worried about that.

“When he first came in here, he understood what he was up against and that the job wasn’t just going to be given to him because he was a draft pick,” Daniels said. “He truly wanted to earn the respect of his teammates and win the job.”

It’s safe to say Reichard has done that so far. He turned some heads by going 5 for 5 on field goal attempts during a practice early in training camp, and while he missed a pair of long field goal attempts this week, Reichard already seems to have earned the trust of everybody around him.

“He’s done an unbelievable job since he’s gotten here,” Daniels said. “You all got a good look of what he’s capable of doing.”

As impressive as Reichard’s physical traits have been whenever he’s been asked to kick, he’s also showcased a mental fortitude needed to succeed at the position. That’s a good sign as he steps into a franchise that has a history of chewing up kickers and spitting them out.

“He’s a guy that really maintains a good neutral mindset,” Daniels said. “You truly never know when he’s in a good mood or when he’s in a bad mood.”

As for expectations heading into this season, Daniels has already broached the subject, and Reichard has responded by pushing the envelope.

“He’s telling me, like, ‘That’s not good enough,’” Daniels said. “I really appreciate the edginess that he has and the mindset that he has. That’s the reason that we drafted him. Because of that mindset.”

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CROSSLAKE, Minn. — Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have each requested earmarking $1.7 million in federal funding for the construction of a new home for the National Loon Center in north-central Minnesota.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies will select projects for funding by mid-summer.

“Senators Klobuchar and Smith have shown their commitment to protecting loons and freshwater ecosystems while also supporting a significant economic asset in the Brainerd Lakes Area that will educate and engage visitors and residents alike,” National Loon Center executive director Jon Mobeck said in a news release.

When completed, the nonprofit conservation organization’s new $18.5 million home in Crosslake will create dozens of jobs, stimulate the local and regional economy, and position Minnesota as a national leader in loon and freshwater conservation, National Loon Center officials say.

The center is already actively advancing nationally significant loon and freshwater research and education as it prepares for a scheduled opening in about 18 months. Officials also said the National Loon Center’s new facility will provide needed commerce in the off-season and winter months, making it essential to the development and retention of a talented workforce and supporting the bottom lines of dozens of small businesses in the Brainerd lakes area.

The National Loon Center is expected to welcome 200,000 guests annually. It now operates in a small storefront in Crosslake.

Planners say the new high-tech facility will incorporate an array of immersive and interactive educational exhibits to engage diverse audiences, while promoting and celebrating responsible recreation and enduring stewardship of freshwater lakes.

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