DHCF intends to submit a five-year renewal request of the District of Columbia’ Behavioral Health Transformation Section 1115 Demonstration (Project No. 11-W-00331/3) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on or about May 31, 2024, for review and approval. As described in the renewal materials below, DHCF is proposing to extend the current demonstration and implement an updated program design that broadens the focus to address social determinants of health. Accordingly, DHCF is proposing to rename the demonstration, “Whole-Person Care Transformation.”
DHCF has three proposed demonstration renewal goals:
- Continue to maximize access to quality behavioral health services;
- Improve health outcomes during transitions to reduce health disparities and drive sustainable transformation through justice-involved reentry and health-related social need (HRSN) services; and
- Develop and maintain infrastructure to support the delivery of reentry and HRSN services.
The proposed draft renewal application and other related materials are available below. DHCF will be accepting public comments from April 1, 2024 through 6 pm on April 30, 2024. Interested parties may send written comments concerning the demonstration renewal application to Melisa Byrd, Senior Deputy Director/State Medicaid Director, Department of Health Care Finance, 441 4th Street NW, Suite 900S, Washington, DC 20001, or via email at [email protected].
DHCF will hold three (3) public hearings during the comment period, where written and oral comments on the proposed renewal application will be accepted.
The first public hearing will take place on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 from 3 to 4:30 pm via web conference and teleconference only. Individuals can join the first public hearing by phone by dialing 1-206-420-0854 and using the access code 984 829 331, or by web conference by going to https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NThkNGIzMjItZDgwNy00NGZhLTg1NDYtNjBkNjVkOWMxOGZk%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228fe449f1-8b94-4fb7-9906-6f939da82d73%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22762ec901-c0d1-4e55-896b-92ac24f1c430%22%7d
The second public hearing will take place on Monday, April 22, 2024, from 10 to 11:30 am in the Ora Glover Meeting Room at Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Marion Barry Avenue SE. There is no web or teleconference option for the second public hearing.
The third public hearing will take place during the Medical Care Advisory Committee (MCAC) meeting on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm via web conference and teleconference only. Individuals can join the third public hearing by phone by dialing 1-202-860-2110 and using the access code 2314 418 4314, or by web conference by going to https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=mbf18619302169d72726a6555cceb3d59
For further information, please contact DHCF at [email protected]
1115 Waiver Renewal Documents:
Renewal Application Materials
DRAFT 1115 Renewal Application- For Public Comment - (pdf)
Draft Interim Evaluation Report 4.1.24 - (pdf)
District of Columbia’s 1115 Waiver History:
On November 6, 2019, CMS approved the District of Columbia’s Behavioral Health Transformation Section 1115 Demonstration (Project No. 11-W-00331/3) which allowed the District to begin receiving federal financial participation effective January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2024, to provide services to address gaps in the behavioral health delivery system for serious mental illness (SMI)/serious emotional disturbances (SED) and substance use disorder (SUD).
In order to allow the public an opportunity to provide meaningful comment on the implementation of the Behavioral Health Transformation Demonstration, the District has hosted annual Post Award Forums in an online setting on October 20, 2020, October 18, 2021, October 28, 2022, and October 27, 2023. Recordings of the previous events, as well as additional materials related to the Behavioral Health Transformation Demonstration, can be found here. The District will continue to host a Post Award Forum annually going forward.