CMS Moves Forward with Medicaid Psychiatric Demonstration - April 12, 2011

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 8 submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an emergency review of proposed information collection requirements for the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration Project. The demonstration was authorized under the Affordable Care Act and appropriated $75 million to study the effectiveness of providing Medicaid payments for the inpatient hospitalization of psychiatric patients who are considered a threat to themselves or others. The goal is for the additional Medicaid coverage to provide psychiatric patients with appropriate, quality care and to encourage growth in numbers of inpatient psychiatric beds. Parties may comment on the information collection by May 4; CMS is asking OMB to review and approve its collection by May 9.