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DBHIDS warns Medicaid rule changes could put tens of thousands at risk; outlines crisis‑response gains and bed‑registry plan
Summary
DBHIDS Commissioner Kenny told Council the department expanded crisis response and treatment capacity but warned that federal Medicaid work and recertification changes in January 2027 could risk coverage for roughly 73,248 Philadelphians; DBHIDS described a centralized bed registry, a mobile methadone van for Kensington, and coordination with homeless‑services partners.
The city’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services told Philadelphia City Council’s Committee of the Whole that the city has expanded crisis‑response services but faces a major near‑term risk from federal Medicaid changes.
Commissioner Kenny Solonke (as identified in testimony) said DBHIDS has built a broader crisis continuum, with 988 call volume up 24% to 31,692 calls and an overall 10% increase in crisis‑line demand in 2025. He described a mobile crisis system, a behavioral‑health urgent care center that has provided more than 5,000 same‑day encounters since opening, and a mobile methadone van…
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