On Thursday Governor Jim Pillen signed LB 276 into law. This bill adopts The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Act, introduced by Sen. Anna Wishart, which passed by the Nebraska Legislature on May 19, with a unanimous 46-0 vote. It was immediately adopted into law after the Governors signature.
The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Act will increase access to outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment through service delivery coordination with community partners.
Gov. Pillen said at the signing ceremony, “Today is an extraordinary day because the bill that we’re going to be signing. Number one, we need to help Nebraskans. We need to help each other. We have neighbors, we have family members that need help. This bill is going to be transformational to provide much more access.”
During a committee hearing, Wishart said the state should be collaborating with law enforcement agencies, schools, hospitals, primary care providers and other organizations to help improve care, reduce recidivism and address health disparities.
“[The CCBHC model] glues investments together so that when an individual comes in and needs help, they’re getting the full array of support,” Wishart said. “It truly is a holistic approach.”
The state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) would be required to apply for a Medicaid state plan amendment through the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement the bill’s provisions by Jan. 1, 2026. Under the CCBHC model, DHHS would develop a prospective payment system through which providers would be reimbursed based on the anticipated cost of providing required services to Medicaid recipients on either a daily or monthly basis.
DHHS Director Dannette Smith spoke at the signing ceremony, saying the bill will “Increase access to care for mental health and substance use disorders, increase the quality for mental health and substance use [treatment], expand capacity for comprehensive holistic services, incorporate evidence based practices and finally, establish core coordination as the anchor for service delivery.”