CMS Approves Virginia Plan To Offer Medicaid Coverage Selectively To SMI Population

On January 9, 2015, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Virginia’s Medicaid 1115 waiver amendment to provide a limited benefit plan, called the Governor’s Access Plan (GAP), for uninsured low-income adults with serious mental illness (SMI) who do  not otherwise qualify for Medicaid benefits. GAP will operate from January 2015 to January 2017, or until Virginia expands Medicaid for individuals with income up to 138% FPL. Benefits available through GAP include primary and specialty care (including behavioral health and addiction treatment), diagnostic, laboratory, pharmacy, and behavioral health community-based services and care coordination . . .