2019 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 94
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to submit a report on the
implementation of Act No. 582 of the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature
relative to specialized behavioral health rehabilitation services in the Louisiana
Medicaid program.
WHEREAS, on May 31, 2018, Senate Bill 564 was signed into law as Act No. 582
of the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 582 was necessary to curtail unfettered growth and program
misuse in the Medicaid funded mental health rehabilitation program; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 582 provided a regulatory framework for providers of
community psychiatric support and treatment services (CPST) and psychosocial
rehabilitation services (PSR), including requirements for licensure, accreditation, holding
a National Provider Identification Number, and credentialing standards that must be met to
be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 582 further provided for certain education requirements for any
employee of a CPST or PSR licensed agency, specifically that any employee rendering
CPST or PSR services on behalf of a licensed agency shall hold a minimum of a bachelor's
degree from an accredited university or college in the field of counseling, social work,
psychology, or sociology; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 582 further provided for a facility need review program for
behavioral health services providers that provide CPST or PSR services preventing the
department from issuing facility need review approval for a license to provide CPST or PSR
services to any applicant unless the department determines that the evidence and data
submitted by the applicant establishes the probability of serious, adverse consequences to
recipients' ability to access services if the provider is not allowed to seek licensure; and
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WHEREAS, Act No. 582 further provided that each behavioral health services
provider that provides CPST or PSR services shall employ at least one full-time physician
or full-time licensed mental health professional to serve as a full-time mental health
supervisor to assist in the design and evaluation of treatment plans for CPST or PSR
services; and
WHEREAS, these sweeping changes have been in effect for one year and it is
imperative that the department inform the legislature of the status of implementation, the
outcomes as a result of implementation, and any recommendations for future changes to the
CPST or PSR regulatory scheme established in the law.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby request the Louisiana Department of Health to submit a report on the
implementation of Act No. 582 of the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature relative to
specialized behavioral health rehabilitation services in the Louisiana Medicaid program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report shall include, at a minimum, the
following:
(1) The number of CPST providers and PSR providers properly licensed and eligible
to receive Medicaid reimbursement in Louisiana and whether the current number meets
patient needs.
(2) The number of CPST providers and PSR providers that did not meet the
requirements for licensure, accreditation, holding a National Provider Identification Number,
or credentialing standards and have therefore been ineligible for Medicaid reimbursement.
(3) The number of CPST providers and PSR providers that have experienced
difficulty in securing employees that hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an
accredited university or college in the field of counseling, social work, psychology, or
sociology and whether these allowable degrees should be expanded to include other degree
types such as human services, social sciences, forensic psychology, or general studies with
concentrations in psychology, social science, or sociology.
(4) The number of CPST providers and PSR providers that have submitted a request
for facility need review and of those, the number approved and the number denied and
whether facility need review is still necessary for these programs.
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(5) The number of CPST providers and PSR providers that have indicated any
concerns with employing at least one full-time physician or full-time licensed mental health
professional to serve as a full-time mental health supervisor to assist in the design and
evaluation of treatment plans for CPST or PSR services.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on or before October 1, 2019, the department
shall submit the implementation and outcome data requested, in addition to any observations
or recommendations for future changes as may be necessary to ensure the effectiveness,
efficiency, and long-term stabilization of Medicaid funded CPST and PSR services for
Louisiana Medicaid recipients.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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