Alabama Medicaid Moves Forward To Implement IMD Waiver For Serious Mental Illness

The Alabama Medicaid Agency is implementing a Medicaid waiver that allows adult beneficiaries with serious mental illness (SMI) to receive short-term inpatient treatment at a facility classified as an institution for mental diseases (IMD). The waiver applies to facilities located in Baldwin and Mobile counties in the far southwest corner of the state. An IMD is defined an inpatient or residential facility with 16 or more beds that primarily treats people with behavioral health disorders. Historically, the federal Medicaid program has not provided any federal matching funds for residential or inpatient services provided to adults ages 21 to 64 . . .