A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow all years of full‑time mental health, developmental DISABILITY, and substance abuse service to apply to the QUALIFICATIONS required by the medicaid program for qualified professionals.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) shall amend the qualifications for Qualified Professionals within the mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse (MH/DD/SA) system of care, as defined in rule, clinical care policies for the Medicaid program, and the North Carolina Medicaid State Plan. Qualifications for Qualified Professionals shall allow for all years of full‑time MH/DD/SA service experience to qualify as years of service, rather than limiting qualifying full‑time MH/DD/SA service to that which is obtained post‑graduate degree only. No later than October 1, 2017, any necessary State Plan amendment to effect these changes shall be submitted by DHHS to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
SECTION 2.  Any changes to clinical coverage policies and any changes to rules adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services relating to the qualifications for Qualified Professionals required under Section 1 of this act shall not become effective until CMS approval of the State Plan amendments submitted by DHHS to effect these changes has been received.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.