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Maryland Halts New Licenses for Some Behavioral Health Programs

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July 12, 2024

A moratorium on new licenses for select behavioral health programs and services in Maryland took effect July 1, 2024. The six-month pause is part of the state’s efforts to “mitigate potential fraud, waste, and abuse,” according to a statement released by the Maryland Department of Health.

Affected Programs/Services

ACHC confirmed with Maryland authorities that the temporary moratorium bans new enrollment in the Medicaid program for four behavioral health programs/services licensed under Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) for community-based behavioral health programs.

The table below lists the Maryland programs/services included in the temporary moratorium and corresponding ACHC Accreditation services.

Maryland Program/Service ACHC Service Type
Intensive Outpatient treatment level 2.1 program Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOTX)
Partial Hospitalization Treatment level 2.5 program Partial Hospitalization Services (PHS)
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program for Adults (PRP-A) Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR)
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program for Minors (PRP-M) Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Minors (PSRM)

Only these programs and services are affected. The pause in accepting new applications was approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the state DOH said in its release.

Impact on Providers

Under the Maryland moratorium, new providers and established organizations seeking a service or branch addition may not request a new license for one or more of the affected programs/services for a minimum of six months.

Providers already licensed in the state for one or more of these four programs/services are not affected by the temporary moratorium. Also unaffected are Maryland providers seeking to renew their ACHC Accreditation or state license for any of these programs/services.

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