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Committee approves substitute for Behavioral Health Medicaid Waiver Act to give HCA flexibility in waiver application
Summary
House Appropriations and Finance Committee approved a substitute (committee version) for House Bill 70 that gives the Health Care Authority additional flexibility and time to design a Medicaid waiver for behavioral health services; the substitute was recommended with the due-pass vote on the sub.
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee approved a committee substitute for House Bill 70, the Behavioral Health Medicaid Waiver Act, and recommended the substitute pass.
What changed: The committee substitute, developed with input from stakeholders and the Health Care Authority (HCA), softens some prescriptive language from the original bill and gives HCA additional flexibility in selecting the type of Medicaid waiver and in implementing an application. The substitute also extends the time available to prepare the federal waiver application.
Why it matters: Supporters, including the Disability Coalition and the Veterans and Military Families Caucus, described the waiver as a mechanism to provide tailored Medicaid services for people with serious mental illness, substance-use disorders and brain injuries. Testimony said the waiver would pave the way for interdisciplinary, individualized care plans and for nontraditional services that are not always available under fee-for-service Medicaid.
Funding and implementation: Committee members asked whether funds are in the budget; committee staff confirmed funding is included in the appropriations bill (H.B. 2) for implementation. Stakeholders and HCA representatives said the substitute reduces prescriptive elements and allows use of consultants if needed, and that approximately $1,000,000 was referenced for initial planning in the budget.
Committee action: Vice Chair Dixon moved a do-not-pass on the original bill and a do-pass on the Appropriations and Finance committee substitute for House Bill 70; Representative Garrett seconded the substitute motion. Representative Pettigrew was recorded in opposition during the committee voice tally to the committee action.
Next steps: The committee recommended the substitute for passage and directed the Health Care Authority to proceed with waiver planning and application work consistent with the substitute’s flexible provisions.
