Resolve, To Increase Access to Evidence-based Psychosocial Treatment for Children in the MaineCare Program
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0902
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MALABY, GATTINE, HANINGTON, HAWKE, MADIGAN, PARKER, PERRY

Legislative Document
No. 902
H.P. 630
House of Representatives, March 7, 2017
Resolve, To Increase Access to Evidence-based Psychosocial 
Treatment for Children in the MaineCare Program
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MALABY of Hancock.
Cosponsored by Representatives: GATTINE of Westbrook, HANINGTON of Lincoln, 
HAWKE of Boothbay Harbor, MADIGAN of Waterville, PARKER of South Berwick, 
PERRY of Calais.
Sec. 1.  Department of Health and Human Services to increase 
MaineCare reimbursement for outpatient psychosocial treatments for 
children.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health and Human Services shall 
increase reimbursement rates under rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, 
Chapters II and III, Sections 28, 65 and 97 for evidence-based therapies for treating 
emotional and behavioral problems in children.  These therapies include multisystemic 
therapy, multisystemic therapy for problem sexualized behavior, functional family 
therapy, therapy under the so-called Treatment Foster Care Oregon model and applied 
behavior analysis.  These rates must be sufficient to cover all costs to the provider of 
delivering the services, including additional training, to attract enough providers to clear 
waiting lists for services and to attract providers to all areas of the State, including 
underserved rural areas; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Additional evidence-based practices services for children.  
Resolved:  That the Department of Health and Human Services shall issue a request for 
proposals to contract with therapeutic mental health service providers to offer new 
evidence-based outpatient psychosocial treatment services for children known as trauma-
focused cognitive behavioral therapy and parent management training programs.  The 
request for proposals must be funded with General Fund funds and be used for start-up 
training costs to allow service providers to hire and train staff to provide the treatment.  
The Department of Health and Human Services shall work with the contracted providers 
to develop an ongoing MaineCare reimbursement rate for providing treatment that allows 
for federal Medicaid matching funds and the continued financial health of the service 
providers providing these therapies. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to increase the 
MaineCare reimbursement rates for evidence-based outpatient psychosocial treatments 
for children to a rate that covers all costs involved with providing the service, including 
additional training, clears waiting lists and attracts providers to all areas of the State, 
including underserved rural areas.  The resolve also requires the department to cover 2 
additional evidence-based services known as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral 
therapy and parent management training programs through a request for proposals, using 
General Fund funds for training and hiring staff. The department and the contracted 
providers are required to develop a reimbursement rate for providing the service that is 
sufficient to allow the continued financial health of the service providers providing these 
therapies.