Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60

§1396w–6 State Option to Provide Qualifying Community-based Mobile Crisis Intervention Services

Title 42 › Chapter 7— SOCIAL SECURITY › Subchapter XIX— GRANTS TO STATES FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS › § 1396w–6

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

States may choose to have Medicaid pay for community-based mobile crisis teams for five years starting April 1, 2022. These services are for people on Medicaid who are having a mental health or drug-use crisis while outside a hospital. The help must come from a mobile team that includes at least one behavioral health professional and other trained staff (for example, nurses, social workers, or peer support specialists). Teams must be trained in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and harm reduction. They must respond quickly, do screening and assessment, help stabilize the person, arrange follow-up and referrals, protect privacy, work with local health partners, and be available 24 hours a day, every day. For the first 12 fiscal quarters a state meets the rules, the federal government will pay 85% of the costs for these services, and that percentage cannot be lower than the normal federal share. A state must show it can run services that meet the rules and promise that extra federal money will add to, not replace, the state’s own funding and that areas already offering these services will keep them while the higher federal match applies. The law also provides $15,000,000 for the federal government to give planning grants to states to help them prepare Medicaid plan changes or waiver requests; that money stays available until spent.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1396w–6

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding section 1396a(a)(1) of this title (relating to Statewideness), section 1396a(a)(10)(B) of this title (relating to comparability), section 1396a(a)(23)(A) of this title (relating to freedom of choice of providers), or section 1396a(a)(27) of this title (relating to provider agreements), a State may, during the 5-year period beginning on the first day of the first fiscal year quarter that begins on or after the date that is 1 year after March 11, 2021, provide medical assistance for qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services.

(b)For purposes of this section, the term “qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services” means, with respect to a State, items and services for which medical assistance is available under the State plan under this subchapter or a waiver of such plan, that are—

(1)furnished to an individual otherwise eligible for medical assistance under the State plan (or waiver of such plan) who is—

(A)outside of a hospital or other facility setting; and

(B)experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis;

(2)furnished by a multidisciplinary mobile crisis team—

(A)that includes at least 1 behavioral health care professional who is capable of conducting an assessment of the individual, in accordance with the professional’s permitted scope of practice under State law, and other professionals or paraprofessionals with appropriate expertise in behavioral health or mental health crisis response, including nurses, social workers, peer support specialists, and others, as designated by the State through a State plan amendment (or waiver of such plan);

(B)whose members are trained in trauma-informed care, de-escalation strategies, and harm reduction;

(C)that is able to respond in a timely manner and, where appropriate, provide—

(i)screening and assessment;

(ii)stabilization and de-escalation; and

(iii)coordination with, and referrals to, health, social, and other services and supports as needed, and health services as needed;

(D)that maintains relationships with relevant community partners, including medical and behavioral health providers, primary care providers, community health centers, crisis respite centers, and managed care organizations (if applicable); and

(E)that maintains the privacy and confidentiality of patient information consistent with Federal and State requirements; and

(3)available 24 hours per day, every day of the year.

(c)Notwithstanding section 1396d(b) or 1396d(ff) of this title and subject to subsections (y) and (z) of section 1396d of this title, during each of the first 12 fiscal quarters occurring during the period described in subsection (a) that a State meets the requirements described in subsection (d), the Federal medical assistance percentage applicable to amounts expended by the State for medical assistance for qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services furnished during such quarter shall be equal to 85 percent. In no case shall the application of the previous sentence result in the Federal medical assistance percentage applicable to amounts expended by a State for medical assistance for such qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services furnished during a quarter being less than the Federal medical assistance percentage that would apply to such amounts expended by the State for such services furnished during such quarter without application of the previous sentence.

(d)The requirements described in this subsection are the following:

(1)The State demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary that it will be able to support the provision of qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services that meet the conditions specified in subsection (b).

(2)The State provides assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that—

(A)any additional Federal funds received by the State for qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services provided under this section that are attributable to the increased Federal medical assistance percentage under subection (c) will be used to supplement, and not supplant, the level of State funds expended for such services for the fiscal year preceding the first fiscal quarter occurring during the period described in subsection (a);

(B)if the State made qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services available in a region of the State in such fiscal year, the State will continue to make such services available in such region under this section during each month occurring during the period described in subsection (a) for which the Federal medical assistance percentage under subsection (c) is applicable with respect to the State.

(e)There is appropriated, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $15,000,000 to the Secretary for purposes of implementing, administering, and making planning grants to States as soon as practicable for purposes of developing a State plan amendment or section 1315, 1396n(b), or 1396n(c) of this title waiver request (or an amendment to such a waiver) to provide qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services under this section, to remain available until expended.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1396w–6

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60