New York provides the most comprehensive behavioral health coverage to fee-for-service Medicaid beneficiaries, while South Carolina provides the least, according to an analysis published March 17 by Kaiser Family Foundation.
Kaiser surveyed state Medicaid officials about their FFS Medicaid program's coverage of 55 behavioral health services across seven categories as of July 1: institutional care/intensive, outpatient, substance use disorder, naloxone without prior authorization, crisis, integrated care, and other services. A total of 45 states and Washington, D.C. responded to the survey, and the median number of covered services was 44.
The results do not account for differences in behavioral coverage for managed care plans or Section 1115 waivers, which may offer more benefits.
States ranked by coverage of 55 behavioral services under FFS Medicaid:
New York: 53
Arizona: 53
Oregon: 53
Michigan: 52
New Jersey: 51
West Virginia: 50
Montana: 49
Hawaii: 49
Rhode Island: 49
Vermont: 48
Washington, D.C.: 48
Alaska: 47
Iowa: 47
Kentucky: 47
Missouri: 47
Tennessee: 47
Colorado: 46
Maine: 46
Ohio: 46
New Mexico: 45
Virginia: 45
Maryland: 44
Oklahoma: 44
Washington: 44
Nevada: 43
Massachusetts: 43
Wisconsin: 43
North Carolina: 42
Alabama: 42
California: 42
Connecticut: 42
Indiana: 42
Idaho: 41
North Dakota: 41
Nebraska: 41
Illinois: 39
Kansas: 39
Texas: 39
South Dakota: 38
Pennsylvania: 34
Louisiana: 34
Mississippi: 33
Wyoming: 32
Florida: 30
South Carolina: 27