Michigan Dept. of Health expands opioid health home services to Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph counties

Michigan Dept. of Health expands opioid health home services to Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph counties

LANSING, Mich. (WNDU) - Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services is expanding its opioid services to multiple Michiana counties.

Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph counties are part of the state’s most recent expansion of the Opioid Health Home Initiative. The program works to help coordinate care for Medicaid users who suffer from opioid use disorder.

This new expansion will help thousands of people who meet the criteria of the program receive care.

For OHH-specific information, including eligibility and available resources, click here.

Press Release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services:The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has expanded initiative to more Michigan counties to provide intensive care management and care coordination services for Medicaid beneficiaries with an opioid use disorder (OUD).A Health Home service is a benefit available to Medicaid beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with an OUD and reside within one of the eligible . Individuals who meet the criteria can work with a team of providers who will attend to a beneficiary’s complete health and social needs. Participation is voluntary and enrolled beneficiaries may opt out at any time.

“The expansion of this program will help address the complexity of physical and behavioral health conditions in Michigan and improve access to essential services for residents in Michigan,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “For enrolled beneficiaries, comprehensive care will be managed through the program making it easier for recipients to navigate services.”

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently approved Michigan’s State Plan Amendment (SPA) to expand its OHH initiative into PIHP Regions 5 and 8 as well as Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties in Region 4. The expanded SPA will allow thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries who meet the eligibility criteria to receive OHH services. that Michigan has experienced higher than national rates in improving access to medication for Medicaid beneficiaries with an OUD. Further expanding access in behavioral health care could improve access to 85,000 Michiganders with a substance use disorder.
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