Committee approves rule change to allow additional credentialing bodies for substance use disorder providers

The committee approved a rule docket that removes references to the department as a direct service provider for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and adds the ability to accept certification from additional credentialing bodies to increase provider availability.

Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Chief Jared Larson told the committee the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan contract with Magellan took effect July 1, 2024, and the department no longer directly provides SUD services. The docket therefore removes provider-facing language and aligns rule text with the contract-based delivery model. Larson said the change "really isn't" a shift in policy so much as aligning rules with the contract.

The rule also adds the ability for SUD providers to be certified by other certifying bodies found to be "substantially similar" to the department's existing certifier; the two named certifiers are IBADCC and NCCAP. Larson said the change responds to workforce shortages and the fact that some practitioners moving into Idaho hold certifications from bodies not previously recognized.

Peyton Darst, representing the Idaho Behavioral Health Association, testified in support of the reciprocity, saying it would help address workforce shortages without sacrificing quality: "... allow us to keep working on that workforce issue, especially as we suffer such intense workforce shortages in the substance use area." The department said it received one negative comment from the certifier that opposed adding another certifier but defended the change as expanding access.

Senator Wintrow moved to approve the docket and Senator Ziderfeld seconded; the committee approved the rule on a voice vote.