Illinois’ new Medicaid demonstration program that supports facilities that provide comprehensive, around-the-clock behavioral healthcare and substance abuse treatment is set to begin in October. [Health News Illinois]

Kristine Herman, chief of the behavioral health bureau at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, told members of the Medicaid Advisory Committee that they are working on a “robust communication and technical assistance strategy” to ensure all participating clinics can begin offering the necessary services by Oct. 1.

The initial 19 mental health and substance use treatment providers in the demonstration program must provide care coordination, 24/7 access to crisis services and serve all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

“These agencies will serve anyone who comes through their doors, regardless of the individual's insurance status, and they're going to ensure that these individuals have access to a very broad array of mental health, substance use, recovery and physical health screening services, as well as referrals and coordination with any other services that the individual may need,” Herman said.

Additionally, she said they will begin hosting weekly meetings that are open to all the participating clinics to answer any questions or address concerns. They will also hold meetings during the first demonstration year to ensure the process is going smoothly.

While the demonstration program will start with 19 providers, Herman said there will be opportunities for other organizations to join during its second year.

Illinois was one of 10 states added to the demonstration program earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eight states are already part of the program.

The state is expecting a $150 million boost as part of the program, which is a mixture of state funding and an enhanced federal match.

In other business, Medicaid Administrator Kelly Cunningham said they are now “knee-deep” in the pre-implementation work for the 1115 waiver, which was approved last month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The waiver aims to address social determinants of health and behavioral health through various programs, including those that will provide short-term post-transition housing, medically necessary home remediation, nutrition counseling, home-delivered and medically tailored meals, and nutrition prescriptions targeting health risks.

Cunningham said the federal agency will have to approve operational protocol and some of the other implementation work, but she thanked members for helping to craft the waiver’s provisions.

“It’s not going to be like flipping a switch and turning a service on,” she said. “That will come, but we are still in the planning and pre-implementation phase.”

Additionally, a town hall will be held later this month with more information on the waiver and how providers and other stakeholders can assist with the rollout.

Dana Kelly, HFS chief of staff, told committee members that the agency will start conducting meetings in the coming weeks to get feedback related to the managed care procurement process.

“It's really a time to make sure that we're getting kind of a full grasp of the overall experience of the Medicaid consumer in this process,” she said.

The current contracts with Medicaid managed care organizations in the HealthChoice Illinois program were extended for an additional year to give HFS’ new leadership time to settle in.

Kelly said they expect to open the procurement process next spring.

Contact IOMC if you are interested in learning more about the Behavioral Health workgroup. Send an email to info@iomc.org.

 

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