Children's mental health treatment centers lose millions in federal funding
Star TribuneMay 08, 2018
After a prolonged review, state and federal health regulators determined last week that 11 treatment centers with a total of 580 beds no longer qualify for coverage under the public Medicaid program. Officials cited a 1970s-era rule that prevents Medicaid from paying for care at larger institutions with more than 16 beds.
The decision casts doubt on the future of residential programs that treat hundreds of children and adolescents with histories of trauma and who suffer from a range of psychiatric problems, including severe anxiety and self-injurious behavior. The facilities are seen by state officials and mental health advocates as vital to helping children return to stability after a psychiatric crisis, and to avoid costly hospitalizations.
The loss of federal Medicaid funding marks the latest setback to state efforts to expand mental health treatment programs for the estimated 109,000
Unless state lawmakers step in to provide stopgap funding, the treatment centers would lose about
"These programs are crucial," said
Twitter: @chrisserres
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