Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) have introduced a bill that would clarify that facilities that meet the new Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTP) requirements under Title IV-E child welfare law found under the new Family First Act are not considered an Institution for Mental Diseases (IMD) under Medicaid law. The bill, S. 2689, amends Medicaid law and does not alter the QRTP provisions under Title IV-E.

 

In announcing the legislation, Senator Burr (R-NC) and Senator Feinstein (D-CA) underscored the importance of Medicaid to children’s health. An IMD classification of the new QRTP residential programs would mean the cut-off of all Medicaid coverage for a child placed into a QRTP, even on an out-patient basis. A letter signed by almost 550 local, state, and national organizations calling for the Medicaid fix. Organizations wishing to sign on and can do it HERE.