"A willingness to develop new partnerships," is how Gov. John A. Kitzhaber described a budget that gives tax incentives to the film industry but cuts services to Oregonians diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.

The three-term governor's budget to close a $3.5 billion gap takes a bite from doctors and hospitals serving the poor. It also comes from the Oregon Health Plan which provides services to roughly 380,000 low-income people.

The elimination of prescription coverage, loss of dental care, cuts to children's services cuts to affordable housing risking eviction for nearly 7,800 people are on the table, according to an analysis by Our Oregon, a not-for-profit advocacy organization.

Mental health care would no longer be treated under the Oregon Health Plan. The result would be more low-income Oregonians living with untreated mental illnesses. This would lead to an increased burden on emergency care, as well as on law enforcement, who will become the primary responders to mental health crises.

Our Oregon spokesperson Scott Moore said the analysis, based on the data from the legislature, plus agency cut lists, was intended to show the "human costs." Some of these include the likelihood of spikes in emergency room usage and jail and prison sentences for people who are unable to pay for medicine or housing. Too often, Moore said, "these stories become just numbers, policies, and we wanted to show what the human impact of this level of cuts means."

Widespread cuts
The story repeats nationwide. A Kaiser Health News video about how some states are responding to the budget crunch discusses the loss of stimulus package financing that obligated states not to cut people from their rolls. This translates into reducing services, such as Oregon proposes, or cutting provider reimbursements. Arizona has requested a waiver to drop the number of people enrolled, a tactic likely to be picked up by others.