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Current Initiatives

Here we spotlight our current initiatives and advocacy efforts in the ever-evolving landscape of substance use disorder treatment. Discover how AAAP is actively shaping policies, driving advancements, and offering support to enhance the impact and effectiveness of professionals in this crucial field – and what you can do to make an impact with us.

Initiative I

Increase State SUD Room & Board Rate in FY 2024

Federal Medicaid pays only for counseling costs; the cost of housing and feeding individuals in residential facilities (“Room and Board”) must be funded with state funds. Room and Board expenses are excluded from Medicaid reimbursement. In January 2024 the rate will increase from $11.64 to $14.20. $1 Million in state dollars buys approximately $1.40 a day increase in room and board for all behavioral health programs.

Overview and Facts

  • Washington pays the lowest room and board rate in the nation
  • Oregon & Montana have improved their room & board rates to ensure capacity and access.
  • Beds in Washington State are declining due to inadequate reimbursement, particularly on the state room & board side.
  • Once facilities close, the lost capacity is expensive or impossible to replace due to zoning, NIMBY and construction challenges. residential areas, as well as wages and employee benefits for cooks, maintenance workers and grounds-keepers.
2024 ROOM & BOARD PER DIEM RATES ASAM 3.7 Residential Medical Withdrawal Management ASAM 3.5 Intensive Residential ASAM 3.3 Women with Children in Treatment
Oregon https://www.oregon.gov/oha/hsd/ohp/pages/fee- schedule.aspx $ 231.84 $ 231.84 $ 231.84
Montana https://mthcf.org/news/meicaid-in-mt-r-2023/ 237.07 135.30 135.30
Washington State (effective 1/1/2024) 14.20 14.20 14.20
Shortfall (Next lowest States: Minnesota, Maryland and Delaware at $55+/day.) ($217.64) ($121.10) ($121.10)

For 2024-25 Supplemental Budget, we are advocating one-time funds for:

  1. $30 M one-time enhancement for immediate inflationary assistance to residential providers, bringing WA Room and Board rate to ~$55/day – still only 41% of Montana rate for room & board and 24% of Oregon.
  2. Fund an independent study of Residential SUD Room & Board expenses to set a target rate for the 2025-
    27 budget and incremental elimination of the shortfall.
 

This investment will stabilize existing capacity while an independent study determines the
actual expense to address in 2025-27 Biennium.

For additional information contact AAP Olympia representative: Amanda Jahshan /Paragon Strategic Partners, LLC
(360) 522-5048 paragonstrategicpartners@gmail.com

Initiative II

Amendments to Improve Public Safety and Reduce DUI Recidivism

Proposed changes include:

  • More frequent reports from treatment to the courts – Reporting requirements have been increased to monthly from every three months in the first year and every six months the second year.
  • Clarification of supervision as a condition – Timelines for reporting non-compliance and review of driving abstracts and criminal histories of the petitioner during the deferral period are defined.
  • Stronger treatment program requirements – petitioner must already be actively participating

Incentivizing treatment at first DUI offense:

Eligibility for deferred prosecution remains once in a lifetime and a 5-year program, except to allow a second opportunity for deferred prosecution to an individual with a substance use disorder who participated in a deferred prosecution program on their first offense.

Studies by the Washington State Institute for Public Safety in 2006 and 2007 point to deferred prosecution as an effective tool to decrease recidivism defined as DUI, criminal traffic, or alcohol-related offenses. The 2007 study indicates that deferred prosecution participants have 32% fewer repeat offenses than the comparison group.

This legislation involved a workgroup of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, DUI victim advocates, treatment providers, probation departments, Washington Traffic Safety, and WA Dept. of Licensing and other stakeholders.