Feds Approve California Medicaid Plan To Expand Outpatient Addiction Treatment Access

On September 5, 2014, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved California’s plans to expand statewide Medicaid-funded outpatient substance use disorder treatment services to any Medi-Cal beneficiary meeting medical necessity criteria. Previously, the statewide Medicaid Drug Medi-Cal (DMC) addiction treatment program services were available only to pregnant/post-partum women or youth eligible for Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Other services were provided to various populations on a county-by-county basis. The statewide DMC program limited counseling in narcotic treatment settings to 200 minutes.

The approval was retroactive to . . .