Milne Legal Submits Comments on California Medi-Cal’s Implementation of Traditional Health Care Practices
Last week, Milne Legal submitted comments on the California Department of Health Care Services' draft guidance implementing the traditional health care practices benefit for Medi-Cal enrollees who are eligible to receive services for treatment of substance use disorder through DMC-ODS programs administered by participating counties. California has become one of the first...
DHCS Publishes Draft Guidance on Implementation of the Traditional Health Care Services Benefit for Indian Health Care Providers
The California Dept. of Health Care Services has posted draft guidance on implementation of the recently-approved Section 1115 amendment for traditional health care practices for Medi-Cal enrollees who are eligible to receive covered services through the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System.
The draft guidance is fairly lengthy, and includes...
Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California’s Healthcare Facilities in Responding to Immigration Issues
The California Attorney General’s Office recently published updated guidance and model policies for hospitals to use in understanding their state and federal obligations to provide health care to patients and to protect patients’ rights to privacy and access to health care in California.
Included are suggestions for how to...
Telehealth Flexibilities Expiring Dec. 31, 2025
Temporary measures that have broadened Medicare coverage of telehealth since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic will expire soon, putting providers and some Medicare beneficiaries at risk for interruption in care. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress and HHS temporarily lifted restrictions on telehealth, and many of those temporary measures have...
Utah Medicaid to Cover Traditional Healing Services
Utah may soon join several other states that include traditional healing services in their Medicaid programs.
In late November, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services requested CMS approval for traditional healing services in its Medicaid program.
Some key points about Utah’s proposal:
Training and qualifications of traditional healing providers may vary widely, due...
SAMHSA Issues Guidance on 2024 Final Rule for Opioid Treatment Programs.
Hot of the press! In late November 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released guidance on implementing its 2024 final rule that made some of the most significant updates to standards for the operation of opioid treatment programs and the use of medications to treat opioid use disorder in...
CMS Grants Exception from “Four Walls” Requirement for Tribal Programs
CMS has issued a final agency rule with several provisions that will be of interest to Medicaid clinic services tribal health programs. Through the final rule, CMS has amended the Medicaid clinic services’ regulation (at 42 CFR 440.90) to authorize Medicaid coverage for clinic services furnished by IHS and Tribal clinics outside...
Medicaid Approval for Native American Traditional Health Practices
The California Medicaid program was notified in October 2024 that federal regulators had approved the request to include traditional healing practices and other supportive services among the array of services to help persons recovering from substance use. This is the first time that the Medi-Cal program will cover traditional health care practices...
IHS Financing for Real Estate Purchases, Leases, and Improvements
Native American tribes face many barriers to developing healthcare programs for their communities, including financing the costs of buying, leasing, and maintaining a suitable space or building in which to provide much-needed healthcare services. One way that tribes can offset these costs is through the “105(l) facility lease program,” available through the...
Medicaid to Cover Traditional Healing for Persons with SUD in Four States
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom announced October 17, 2024 that the California Medicaid program has gained federal approval to include traditional healing practices and other supportive services among the array of services to help persons recovering from substance use. This is the first time that the Medi-Cal program will cover traditional health care...