§ 17b-280c — Methadone maintenance. Minimum rates. Increase for providers receiving lowest weekly rates of reimbursement.

(a) For purposes of this section: (1) “Methadone maintenance” means a chemical maintenance program under which an addiction to one drug, including, but not limited to, heroin, is treated with the drug methadone in a weekly program that includes on and off-site methadone administration, drug testing and counseling; and (2) “chemical maintenance provider” means a provider certified and licensed by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the state Department of Public Health who meets all federal and state requirements, including, but not limited to, requirements specific to the provision of chemical maintenance services. (b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall amend the Medicaid state plan to provide a minimum weekly reimbursement rate of eighty-eight dollars and fifty-two cents to a chemical maintenance provider for methadone maintenance treatment of a Medicaid beneficiary, provided no such provider receiving a higher rate shall have such rate reduced to the minimum as a result of the implementation of a new minimum reimbursement rate. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the commissioner shall amend the Medicaid state plan to increase rates, within available appropriations, for chemical maintenance providers who receive the lowest weekly reimbursement rate for such treatment, provided no provider receiving a higher rate for such treatment shall have such rate reduced as a result of such rate increase. (c) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to section 17b-10 , may implement policies and procedures to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided the commissioner posts notice of the intent to adopt the regulations on the department's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

Legislative History

(P.A. 19-117, S. 311; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 332; P.A. 24-81, S. 73.) History: P.A. 19-117 effective July 1, 2019; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 deleted Subsec. (c) re payment performance standards, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as new Subsec. (c) and made a technical change, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 24-81 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re increase for providers receiving lowest weekly rate of reimbursement, effective May 30, 2024.