Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319i - Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
Section 17a-485d. - Availability of optional rehabilitation services or substance abuse services under Medicaid program. Amendments to Medicaid state plan. Report to General Assembly. Certification of providers by Commissioner of Mental Health and Ad...

(a) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, shall conduct a study concerning the implementation of adult rehabilitation services under Medicaid. Not later than February 1, 2002, the departments shall jointly submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. The report shall include, but not be limited to, an implementation plan, a cost benefit analysis and a description of the plan's impact on existing services.

(b) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Social Services shall conduct a study concerning the advisability of entering into an interagency agreement pursuant to which the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services would provide clinical management of mental health services, including, but not limited to, review and authorization of services, implementation of quality assurance and improvement initiatives and provision of case management services, for aged, blind or disabled adults enrolled in the Medicaid program to the extent permitted under federal law. Not later than February 1, 2002, the departments shall jointly submit a report of their findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall take such action as may be necessary to amend the Medicaid state plan to provide for coverage of optional adult rehabilitation services supplied by providers of mental health services or substance abuse rehabilitation services for adults with serious and persistent mental illness or who have alcoholism or other substance use disorders, that are certified by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The Commissioner of Social Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement optional rehabilitation services under the Medicaid program. The commissioner shall implement policies and procedures to administer such services while in the process of adopting such policies or procedures in regulation form, provided notice of intention to adopt the regulations is printed in the Connecticut Law Journal within forty-five days of implementation, and any such policies or procedures shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.
(d) Not later than February 1, 2006, the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in consultation with the Commissioners of Children and Families and Social Services shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health, human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, on any moneys received by the state as federal Medicaid reimbursement for providing coverage of optional rehabilitation services for children and adults.
(e) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall have the authority to certify providers of mental health or substance abuse rehabilitation services for adults with serious and persistent mental illness or who have alcoholism or other substance use disorders for the purpose of coverage of optional rehabilitation services. The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, for purposes of certification of such providers. The commissioner shall implement policies and procedures for purposes of such certification while in the process of adopting such policies or procedures in regulation form, provided notice of intention to adopt the regulations is printed in the Connecticut Law Journal no later than twenty days after implementation and any such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time the regulations are effective.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-8, S. 4, 13; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 70; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 84; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3, S. 98; P.A. 11-215, S. 6; P.A. 16-130, S. 2, 3.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-8 effective July 1, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (c) to delete reference to completion of the study and report re time frame for when Commissioner of Social Services shall amend the Medicaid state plan, to add that for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, up to $3,000,000 in each such fiscal year of federal moneys received for optional Medicaid adult rehabilitation services are to be credited to the Community Mental Health Restoration subaccount, and to require Commissioner of Social Services to adopt regulations to implement optional rehabilitation services under the Medicaid program, effective August 20, 2003; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 amended Subsec. (c) to provide that Commissioner of Social Services shall amend the Medicaid state plan to provide coverage for “substance abuse rehabilitation services for adults with serious and persistent mental illness or who have alcoholism or other substance abuse conditions” certified by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and to make technical changes, and added Subsec. (d) authorizing Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to certify providers of mental health or substance abuse rehabilitation services for adults with serious and persistent mental illness or who have alcoholism or other substance abuse conditions, requiring adoption of regulations re certification and permitting commissioner to implement policies and procedures re certification while in the process of adopting in regulation form, effective May 12, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3 added new Subsec. (d) requiring Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to report to General Assembly on moneys received by the state as federal Medicaid reimbursement for providing coverage for optional rehabilitation services for children and adults and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 11-215 amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision re crediting of federal moneys to Community Mental Health Restoration subaccount for fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005; P.A. 16-130 amended Subsecs. (c) and (e) by replacing “substance abuse conditions” with “substance use disorders”.