June 9, 2025

The federal statute that embeds the CCBHC Demonstration Program is set to expire on 9/30/25 and there is no reason to believe it will be extended.  As such, the NYS Council has (for many months) been engaged in focused advocacy designed to compel state leaders to quickly submit a State Plan Amendment (SPA) to CMS that would permit New York to bring current CCBHC Demo services into the state’s Medicaid Plan, to continue the carve out of these services from MMC, and to reimburse Demo providers for provision of these services utilizing the current PPS rate methodology.
Recently we met with State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri and separately with Commissioner Ann Sullivan and others in state government to impress upon them the time sensitive nature of this critical activity.  We were asked to share recent CCBHC data that looks at impacts associated with implementation of the Demo as well as the recent expansion of these services. Shortly thereafter we learned that the DoH had signed off on the SPA and that it was moving to DoB for final approval.  Once approved, it will go back to DoH for transmission to CMS.

Back Story:  In 2022, the NYS Council proposed budget language and then hired HMA to perform a Financial Analysis of the many benefits associated with the Demo Program here in New York, and the return on investment NYS could expect from further expansion of the Program.  The Report was a first-of-its-kind analysis that led to the Governor’s proposal and ultimately passage of budget language that led to the expansion of the Program from 13 to 39 Demo Clinics across the state.  The Report has been used as a template for work by advocates in other states.

The more recent information we shared with state leaders last month confirms the ongoing benefits associated with provision of these services across the state, and specifically the benefits in terms of access to care. The NYS Council will continue to fight to ensure continuity of care for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who currently benefit from these services, and continued viability of the agencies that serve them.

Note:  The info above relates to the federal Demo Program.  The SAMHSA CCBHC eGRANT program is different.  As of today, the eGRANT Program is flat funded in the Trump Administration’s FFY26 executive budget proposal.