Historic Win for Foster Youth and Families: A New Medicaid Benefit Becomes Reality

/EIN News/ -- Los Angeles, CA, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Special Needs Network is proud to announce a major policy victory that will change lives across California. Thanks to our leadership and collaboration with state partners, a brand-new Medicaid benefit – the Fee-for-Service Behavioral Health Treatment (FFS BHT) benefit – will launch statewide on July 1, 2025. The new provider enrollment portal is open so providers can be ready to serve patients day one. SNN will be ready.  

“This is a monumental step forward for California’s foster youth and families,” said Areva Martin, President of Special Needs Network. “Creating a brand-new Medicaid benefit in record time shows what’s possible when community advocates, policymakers, and government agencies work together. We are proud that Special Needs Network’s leadership helped drive this historic change — and we remain committed to ensuring that every child gets the care and support they deserve.”

This breakthrough ensures that foster youth and all other children needing behavioral health therapy will finally have direct access to services under Medi-Cal, with more providers available and fewer barriers to care.,. Access will no longer be determined by whether a child has a managed care plan or FFS Medi-Cal or whether they are served by a regional center or not.

Creating this new benefit involved:

• Securing federal approval for a new Medicaid State Plan.
• Building a statewide provider enrollment system.
• Establishing new billing codes and payment systems.
• Ensuring access for smaller community organizations and paraprofessionals.
• Eliminating referral barriers for families, physicians, and courts.

SNN played a critical role at every step, providing technical expertise, real-world feedback, and advocacy that state officials have called “invaluable.”

Although the benefit launches July 1, work continues to refine the system and fully support providers, youth, and families. SNN will remain deeply involved in training, communications, system improvements, and monitoring to ensure a smooth rollout and lasting success. Priority processing is available through June 30. See the FAQs for providers here

“This win represents one of the fastest and most significant Medicaid benefit developments in California history — and it was fueled by SNN’s dedication to children, families, and equitable access to care,” said Kristin Jacobson, a policy expert and long-time advocate who participated in this effort on behalf of SNN.

To submit a PAVE application, agencies need to visit the PAVE (Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment) system portal: https://pave.dhcs.ca.gov/

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Special Needs Network, Inc. (SNN) is a nonprofit grassroots organization responding to the crisis of autism and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities. We recognize the intersectionality of individuals with disabilities and that their fight for disability rights is inextricably tied to the fight for racial justice and the civil rights of all people.

 

Special Needs Network
                    communications@snnla.org