Facility Lawsuit Stymies West Virginia DHHR’s Change To Juvenile Residential Payment Structure

A lawsuit filed by organizations that operate 19 juvenile residential psychiatric facilities is responsible for delaying the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) proposal to change the facility payment structure. In its contracts that were slated to start at the end of July 2016, DHHR replaced bundled rates of $250 a day for residential placements with a standard rate of $178 a day for room, board, and supervision. Facilities would bill Medicaid separately for other services provided to each child on a fee-for-service basis. The state also proposed eliminating its current three classifications of children . . .