It’s taken five long years but the wait for Medi-Cal reimbursement for substance abuse in Plumas County is over.
Sharon Sousa, director of the Plumas County Behavioral Health Department, told the county Board of Supervisors Sept. 5 the department will now be reimbursed with state and federal funds for its substance abuse services.
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said.
Sousa credited Gary Sanderson, who administers the county’s Substance User Disorder (SUD) program as part of the county’s behavioral health services.
“He stuck with it and provided all the documentation. It’s very demanding,” she said.
The program provides medically necessary SUD treatment services to eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries with an SUD diagnosis.
A previous SUD administrator initiated the Medi-Cal certification process but was unable to complete it. The department went for 18 months without an administrator, only to lose the one next appointed after six months.
Sousa was appointed Behavioral Health Department director in August.
Having Medi-Cal certification will bring reimbursement for services the department was providing for free, Sousa said. The income will allow expansion of the program, reaching more clients, she said.
The supervisors congratulated Sousa and Sanderson for accomplishing a long-sought goal.
