(1) The agency and the department shall develop a plan to obtain federal approval for increasing the availability of federal Medicaid funding for behavioral health care. Increased funding shall be used to advance the goal of improved integration of behavioral health services and primary care services for individuals eligible for Medicaid through the development and effective implementation of the behavioral health system of care as described in s. 394.4573.

(2) The agency and the department shall identify in the plan the amount of general revenue funding appropriated for mental health and substance abuse services eligible to be used as state Medicaid match. The agency and the department shall evaluate alternative uses of increased Medicaid funding, including seeking Medicaid eligibility for the severely and persistently mentally ill or persons with substance use disorders, increased reimbursement rates for behavioral health services, adjustments to the capitation rate for Medicaid enrollees with chronic mental illness and substance use disorders, targeted case management for individuals with substance use disorders as a Medicaid-funded service, supplemental payments to mental health and substance abuse service providers through a designated state health program or other mechanisms, and innovative programs to provide incentives for improved outcomes for behavioral health conditions. The agency and the department shall identify in the plan the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative and assess each alternative’s potential for achieving improved integration of services. The agency and the department shall identify in the plan the types of federal approvals necessary to implement each alternative and project a timeline for implementation.

(3) The department, in coordination with the agency and the managing entities, shall compile detailed documentation of the cost and reimbursements for Medicaid covered services provided to Medicaid eligible individuals by providers of behavioral health services that are also funded for programs authorized by this chapter and chapter 397. The department’s documentation, along with a report of general revenue funds supporting behavioral health services that are not counted as maintenance of effort or match for any other federal program, must be submitted to the agency by December 31, 2016.

(4) If the report presents clear evidence that Medicaid reimbursements are less than the costs of providing the services, the agency and the department shall request such additional trust fund authority as is necessary to draw federal Medicaid funds as a match for the documented general revenue expenditures supporting covered services delivered to eligible individuals. Payment of the federal funds shall be made to providers in such a manner as is allowed by federal law and regulations.

(5) The agency and the department shall submit the written plan and report required in this section to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 31, 2016.

History.—s. 17, ch. 2016-241.