MassHealth to send hospitals funding for psychiatric services

MassHealth, Massachusetts' Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program, will soon send supplemental payments to hospitals to support psychiatric services in emergency departments, according to contract bidding documents filed April 7.

The move comes after MassHealth has found "boarding" to be a common issue in the state, where people looking for mental health services are sent to hospital emergency departments and surgical floors because there aren't enough behavioral health beds available, according to the Boston Business Journal.

The payments are funded through an amendment to MassHealth's Requests for Applications, or the process to reimburse the state's hospitals through Medicaid. The deadline to apply is May 13. Payments will go out from May 1 to Oct. 31.

All hospitals are eligible to receive payments if they meet the following criteria:

  • Hospitals with the most boarding patients in 2021 will receive the most funding.
  • Hospitals must show that they can provide "baseline services" to all emergency department psychiatric patients and at least one "enhanced service."
  • Baseline services include family support and education, screening for substance use disorders, referral to community-based providers for ongoing care after discharge, and observation for those who have suicidal or homicidal thoughts. 
  • Enhanced services include medication management and evaluation, specific services for children, and group therapy.

Tufts Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital plan to apply for the funding. Brigham and Women's Hospital said it has not made a decision yet on applying for funding, according to BBJ.

Since the payments expire later this year, MassHealth hopes to develop a long-term plan with hospitals.

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