Bill > HB5740

This bill amends the Illinois Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Act to establish a specific pathway for certain federally certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to join the Illinois CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration program, which aims to improve access to comprehensive community-based behavioral health services, including crisis care and integrated treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. The bill clarifies that CCBHC stands for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic and the Department refers to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, while SAMHSA is the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. To be eligible, a provider must be currently certified by SAMHSA, have existed and been receiving a federal CCBHC grant from SAMHSA as of January 1, 2026, be located in Illinois and serve Illinois Medicaid beneficiaries, and comply with all federal CCBHC certification and state Medicaid requirements. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services will approve participation for any provider meeting these criteria without competitive selection or numerical limits, ensuring admission occurs before federal grant funding ends to avoid service disruptions. Reimbursement for these providers will follow the established Illinois CCBHC prospective payment system methodology, and the bill explicitly prohibits general expansion of the demonstration program beyond these defined eligibility criteria, while allowing the Department to create necessary rules that do not add further requirements.