Agenda - Council - 09/13/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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This can include medical costs to uninsured individuals; deductibles, co -pays, or other costs not covered by insurance; costs for uncompensated care at a health provider; emergency medical response costs; and, for recipients with a self -funded health insurance plan, excess health insurance costs due to COVID-19 medical care. These are medical expenses due to COVID-19 and distinguish this category of eligible uses from other related eligible uses, like COVID-19 mitigation and prevention and health insurance expenses to households, to provide greater clarity for recipients in determining which category of eligible uses they should review to assess a potential use of funds. For discussion of eligibility for programs to expand health insurance coverage, see section Assistance to Households. C. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE Background: Recognizing that the public health emergency, necessary mitigation measures like social distancing, and the economic downturn have exacerbated mental health and substance use challenges for many Americans, the interim final rule included an enumerated eligible use for mental health treatment, substance use treatment, and other behavioral health services, including a non -exhaustive list of specific services that would be eligible under this category. Public Comment: Many commenters expressed support for the interim final rule's recognition of behavioral health impacts of the pandemic and eligible uses under this category. Several commenters requested clarification on the types of eligible services under this category, specifically whether both acute and chronic care are included as well as services that often do not directly accept insurance payments, like peer support groups. Some commenters highlighted the importance of cultural competence in providing effective behavioral health services. Some 66