Medicaid agrees to double psychiatric reimbursement rate

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have approved Nevada’s request to double the rate they reimburse hospitals for inpatient psychiatric services.

The daily reimbursement rate will double from $460 to $944.

The news is especially important to Carson Tahoe Hospital which is one of just two Nevada general acute care hospitals that provides inpatient psychiatric care. The other is Northeastern Regional Hospital in Elko.

In addition, the new rate is retroactive to July 1.

Romaine Gilliland, director of the Department of Health and Human Services, said he hopes the higher rate will encourage other medical facilities in Nevada to begin providing adult inpatient psychiatric care.

He said improving mental health services is one of the department’s and the governor’s high priorities.

When Gov. Brian Sandoval expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, it dramatically increased the number of Medicaid eligible clients. Since then, the number of people receiving behavioral health services has increased 75 percent in the past year.