Maryland Department of Health extends pause on behavioral health provider applications
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has extended a moratorium on accepting new applications for certain behavioral health providers in the Medicaid program until July 2025, the department announced Friday.
This pause was extended to address concerns about fraud, waste, and abuse.
The centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted an extension to the pause after reviewing evidence submitted by the Department, MDH said.
The moratorium extension applies to the following program types, which are licensed under Maryland Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 10.63 and 10.09:
- Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs (PRP)
- Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs, Health Home
- Level 2.5 Partial Hospital Programs (PHP), and
- Level 2.1 Intensive Outpatient Treatment Programs (IOP)
The MDH said the moratorium was originally put in place on July 1 in order to respond to the rapid growth among the provider types since the MDH moved to an accreditation only model for provider licensing.
It will not impact access to behavioral health services provided by individual practitioners (e.g., licensed social workers, licensed professional counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists), behavioral health services provider clinics operated in regulated hospital spaces, and behavioral health service providers at Federally Qualified Health Centers.
