| Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved an extension to the Alaska section 1115 demonstration, newly named, Behavioral Health Reform. This approval continues the states existing authority to receive federal financial participation (FFP) for providing clinically appropriate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services for short-term residents in residential and inpatient treatment settings that qualify as an institution for mental diseases (IMD), as well as provides additional services to enhance the comprehensive and integrated behavioral health system for children, youth, and adults with serious mental illness (SMI), severe emotional disturbance (SED), and/or SUDs. Beyond the title change, the state did not request changes with this extension, but rather sought to continue the operations of the current demonstration without any changes to the demonstrations policies, procedures, or programs. The extension approval is effective March 26, 2024 through December 31, 2028. You can view todays extension approval, as well as other demonstration documents, in the demonstrations administrative record here. |
