Florida law directs state agencies to plan for federal Medicaid funding that could support integrated behavioral health and primary care for eligible people.
State planning requirement
According to The Florida Senate’s extract of Florida Statute 394.761, the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Children and Families must develop a plan to obtain federal approval for increasing available federal Medicaid funding for behavioral health care. The extract states that increased funding is intended to advance better integration of behavioral health services and primary care services for people eligible for Medicaid.
State match and funding alternatives
The Florida Senate’s extract says the agencies must identify how much general revenue appropriated for mental health and substance abuse services could be used as the state Medicaid match. The agencies must also evaluate alternative uses for increased Medicaid funding.
The listed alternatives include seeking Medicaid eligibility for people with severe and persistent mental illness or substance use disorders. Other options in the extract include higher reimbursement rates for behavioral health services, adjusted capitation rates for Medicaid enrollees with chronic mental illness and substance use disorders, targeted case management, and supplemental payments to mental health and substance abuse service providers.
The extract also includes innovative programs that create incentives for improved behavioral health outcomes among the alternatives the agencies must evaluate. The statute’s list describes possible approaches for the plan; The Florida Senate’s extract does not state that any one alternative has been selected.
Required plan review
According to The Florida Senate’s extract, the plan must identify the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. It must assess each option’s potential to improve integration between behavioral health and primary care services.
The agencies must also identify which federal approvals would be needed for the alternatives under review, according to the extract. In addition, the plan must project an implementation timeline. The statute therefore sets out a planning and evaluation process involving potential Medicaid funding approaches, federal approval requirements, and service integration.
What this means for Florida patients
For people looking for treatment locally, the directory lists 316 published clinics in Florida. The statute described by The Florida Senate concerns state planning for Medicaid-related behavioral health funding and service integration, rather than identifying individual treatment locations.
This is general information, not medical advice.
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This report is educational and is not medical advice. Coverage, availability and eligibility can change; verify details with the named source or your care team.