California Expands Medicaid Addiction Treatment Benefit

California’s Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) changed its addiction treatment benefits, effective August 14, 2015, due to a new waiver program. The new program will allow counties, at their option, to participate in a new Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) waiver that provides a range of addiction treatment services including early intervention, intensive outpatient, and residential treatment. California’s Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) currently covers residential treatment only for pregnant or postpartum women in facilities with 16 or fewer beds. The DMC-ODS waiver includes residential treatment service for all Medicaid beneficiaries in facilities with no bed . . .