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1115 SUD Waiver Demonstration Project Application and Listening Sessions

Minnesota Department of Human Services sent this bulletin at 05/24/2017 04:53 PM CDT

E-Memo

17-28

May 24, 2017

Minnesota is applying for a Statewide Substance Use Disorder 1115 Waiver Demonstration Project with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Listening Sessions will be held in June to discuss the application requirements and obtain public comment.

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The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a section 1115 waiver of Title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide Medicaid payments for services provided in an Institution for Mental Disease (IMD), as part of the state’s larger reform effort to ensure a continuum of care for people with substance use disorders, as provided under Minnesota Statutes, section 254B.15 The application is due to CMS on September 30th, 2017.

The CMS requirements to apply for this waiver are available in a CMS letter sent to State Medicaid Directors on July 27, 2015, which can be found at SMD: New Service Delivery Opportunities for Individuals with a Substance Use Disorder (Under Federal Policy Guidance at the bottom of the page, choose ""State Medicaid Director Letter" from the "Show" drop down menu. The letter describing the requirements will appear in the search results)

In June, the DHS Health Care Administration and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division will host four regional and one tribal listening sessions to discuss the SUD 1115 Waiver Demonstration Project. The sessions will provide information to the public on the basics of a state application for the waiver. We will also share our findings following our internal exploration of the waiver requirements and opportunities. Notably, this project will require participating providers to comply with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria for placement in services, and DHS is exploring the use of ASAM’s CONTINUUM software during the project for all assessments and placement into substance use disorder services. Please see www.asamcontinuum.org and www.asam.org for information on the ASAM criteria and software.The demonstration project also includes the development of a substance use disorder benefit that guarantees a full continuum of evidence-based best practices designed to address the immediate and long-term physical, mental and SUD care needs of the individual.

The current SUD reform package will be discussed, including an identification of reform components that support and comply with the waiver application requirements. The sessions will also include the opportunity for stakeholders and other interested parties to ask questions and provide input specific to Minnesota’s application.

Each session will cover the same three part agenda:

A. 1115 Waiver Demonstration Basics

B. Minnesota SUD reform policy changes

C. Answer questions about the 1115 Demonstration Project.

Please RSVP for the listening session to Michele.Maruska@state.mn.us

If you have input but are unable to attend one of the listening sessions, please send your input to us at YourOpinionMatters.DHS@state.mn.us with "1115 Waiver" in the subject line.