Secretary of HHS's new program could greatly assist homeless veterns suffering from mental illnesses regain their footing.
Secretary Alex Azar, U.S. Health & Human Services, announced that the Administration will allow states to apply for Medicaid waivers to pay for mental health treatment in inpatient settings known as IMDs, or institutions of mental disease. Historically, Medicaid has not paid for treatment in these settings for most adults. While this policy was intended to reduce inhumane institutionalization, it also resulted in unequal coverage of mental health and, tragically, a lack of appropriate options for people with severe mental health conditions. If we treated other chronic conditions this way, far more people would die from diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension and heart disease.
lThe significant of this is that a number of our homeless veterans suffer from mental illness.
If they gain access to the medication they need, they are more likely to remain on a healthy mental regime on the road to finding and sustaining a home.
Major advocates ask for Medicaid to cover care provided in inpatient settings, or IMDs and strengthen quality and continuity of care to community services.
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Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams
The ISMICC letter also asked for greater flexibility to pay for evidence-based outpatient services to reduce reliance on hospitalization, such as Coordinated Specialty Care in early psychosis programs and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams. We are so pleased that our recommendations were well received and are being implemented. These changes will make a positive impact on people living with severe mental illness.