Senate Concurrent Resolution No. by Senator Barrow urges the Louisiana Department of Health and commercial health insurance payors to increase reimbursement rates for behavioral health crisis centers that operate under a crisis receiving center license. Established in 2022, the Louisiana crisis response system aims to support individuals with mental illness, reduce emergency room visits, and minimize law enforcement involvement in mental health care. Behavioral health crisis centers provide essential short-term crisis intervention services, including 23-hour care, but currently face inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates that do not cover the costs of necessary staffing and services.

The resolution highlights that the current Medicaid per diem reimbursement rate for these centers is significantly lower than the actual cost of providing care, which has resulted in only one licensed provider operating in Louisiana. The resolution calls for an increase in reimbursement rates to ensure that these centers can remain viable and effectively serve individuals in crisis, thereby improving the overall mental health care system in the state. A copy of the resolution will be sent to the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and the executive director of the Louisiana Association of Health Plans.