Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) provide vital services for Medicaid enrollees, but the associated payment system is complex.

Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) are health care facilities that offer a wide array of services to address both mental health and substance abuse issues. In doing so, CCBHCs ensure access to coordinated and comprehensive behavioral health care for Medicaid beneficiaries.

CCBHC demonstration states are supported by SAMHSA-administered CCBHC expansion grants and paid by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services. The federal government required a contractor who could provide them with decision-making support to work through the complexities of the payment methodology and provide support to new planning grant states.

NORC’s technical assistance team provides payment-related decision-making support to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services and guidance to CCBHC planning grant states. 

NORC has hosted a series of webinars for CCBHC planning grant states on topics such as selecting and developing a prospective payment system (PPS) rate, special populations, PPS in managed care, demonstration claiming, special crisis services, designated collaborating organizations, cost reporting, quality bonus payments, sustainability and other topics. We also support the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services by developing tools and programmatic guidance.