The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday approved for Oregon the first Medicaid state plan amendment to cover community-based mobile crisis intervention services, an option made available to states under the American Rescue Plan Act. Mobile crisis intervention services provide individuals experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis 24/7 access to a behavioral health specialist who can screen, assess, stabilize and refer them to health care, social and other services as needed. ARPA also provided $15 million in planning grants to help 20 state Medicaid agencies develop these programs.
 
“I encourage all states to take advantage of this opportunity and work with us to expand access to these critical health care services,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
 
Since July, anyone experiencing a suicide, mental health or substance use crisis also can call, chat or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Related News Articles

Headline
Measles cases have been reported by 42 states and jurisdictions this year, with 1,563 total nationwide, according to the latest data released yesterday by the…
Headline
Inova Health System’s Toni Ardabell, chief of clinical enterprise operations, and Sage Bolte, Ph.D., chief philanthropy officer and president of the Inova…
Headline
A JAMA study published yesterday analyzed the health characteristics of individuals projected to lose Medicaid coverage due to work requirements included in…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Sept. 30 released guidance to states clarifying its interpretation of a provision that…
Perspective
Public
All of America’s hospitals and health systems, regardless of ownership status, size or location, provide a vast range of benefits, programs and essential…
Headline
A bipartisan House letter by Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., Gus M. Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Diana DeGette, D-Colo., urged House…