WSR 16-07-159

INTERPRETIVE OR POLICY STATEMENT

[Filed March 23, 2016, 11:52 a.m.]

In accordance with RCW 34.05.230(12), following is a list of policy and interpretive statements issued by the department of social and health services.

Document Title: Washington State 1915(b) Medicaid Behavioral Health Waiver Amendment.

Subject: Integration of substance use disorder services into managed care, authorized by 2SSB 6312, chapter 225, Laws of 2014.

Effective Date: April 1, 2016.

Document Description: Beginning April 1, 2016, nine of the ten counties in regional service areas (RSA) will adopt a purchasing model in which behavioral health services (mental health and substance use disorder services) for medicaid beneficiaries are delivered through managed care contracts with behavioral health organizations (BHO) and physical health services will be purchased under separate managed care contracts with managed care organizations (MCO) through the health care authority (HCA). HCA will contract with MCOs in the tenth RSA for the full continuum of physical health services and behavioral health services. For enrollee populations in this fully integrated managed care region that are exempt from medical managed care, behavioral health services will be delivered through a managed care behavioral health services only contract. To deliver these behavioral health services in a managed care model, it is necessary to submit and receive federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

To receive a copy of the interpretive or policy statements, contact Tara Smith, Federal Programs Manager, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, P.O. Box 45330, Olympia, WA 98504-5330, phone (360) 725-3071, TDD/TTY 1-800-833-6384, fax (360) 725-2280, e-mail tara.smith@dshs.wa.gov, web site www.dshs.wa.gov/dbhr/.