California Medicaid To Add Addiction Treatment To Community-Based Specialty Behavioral Health Services

On October 2, 2024, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) submitted a pair of Medicaid state plan amendments (SPAs) to expand the Medi-Cal specialty behavioral health delivery system by adding a variety of new provider organization types eligible to deliver Medicaid Rehabilitative Mental Health Services. The SPA clarifies that these services are permitted to address co-occurring addiction disorders as clinically appropriate and within the treating professional’s scope of practice for members who access these services to address their mental health conditions. The new services are slated to begin January 1, 2025.

In SPA 24-0042 . . .