Washington State Behavioral Health Treatment Need and Service Utilization Update

Jan 2025 |
9.130
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Online Library

In September 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) a grant under the §1003 SUPPORT ACT. To support this effort, a current state assessment was conducted in state fiscal year (SFY) 2017–2019 to gain insight into the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses, utilization of treatment services, and physical health and social outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries with behavioral health diagnoses. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent public health emergency (PHE) may have impacted prevalence rates, treatment utilization, and use of acute SUD-related services. This set of four updated reports covers an updated time frame including the peak of the pandemic, SFY 2019–2022. Each report addresses a core question about behavioral health treatment and recovery support services in Washington and the potential impact of the COVID-19 PHE on those services.