The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) recently partnered with the Psychedelic Mental Health Access Alliance (PMHA Alliance) to explore how psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) may be integrated into Medicaid. PAT — the use of certain psychedelic medicines in combination with psychotherapy — is a treatment approach with a growing evidence base for people with serious behavioral health conditions. As the nation’s largest payer for behavioral health services, Medicaid is uniquely positioned to shape access to psychedelic treatments if and when they receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

A blog post coauthored by CHCS and the PMHA Alliance outlines the current landscape of Medicaid coverage of PAT, identifies areas where further evidence is needed, and highlights future opportunities to integrate PAT into Medicaid delivery systems. The blog post draws on independent research and interviews with Medicaid stakeholders. CHCS will continue to monitor developments in this emerging field.