New Rates Proposed for Medicaid Community Mental Health Services
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is proposing changes to Medicaid payment rates for community mental health providers, effective for dates of service on or after July 1, 2026. Under Public Act 104-0470, HFS plans to restructure existing access payments by incorporating them into the base Medicaid reimbursement rates for Assertive Community Treatment and Community Support Team services, resulting in higher rates for those services. 

For Community Support Team and Violence Prevention Community Support Team services, proposed 15-minute rates would be $55.86 on site and $59.02 off site, increasing each rate by $21.02. For Assertive Community Treatment, proposed 15-minute rates would be $69.92 on site and $74.72 off site, increasing each rate by $19.94.

HFS estimates the change will be budget neutral because it shifts access payments into increased service rates rather than creating new spending. The proposal is subject to approval by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and may change during that process. Interested parties may submit written questions or comments by July 29 to HFS.BPPC@illinois.gov.

Medicaid Coding Update for Behavioral Health Screenings
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services released a notice to inform providers of coding changes that better identify the provision and outcomes of behavioral health screenings. Effective Aug. 1, 2026, providers billing Current Procedural Terminology code 96127 for brief emotional/behavioral assessments must include modifier U1 for a negative screening result or modifier U2 for a positive screening result with a documented follow-up plan; claims without one of these modifiers will be rejected. These coding changes apply to claims for customers covered under the Medicaid fee-for-service program and the HealthChoice Illinois managed care organizations.

The notice emphasizes that providers should continue using G8431 or G8510 for depression screens; offer behavioral health screenings at all required early and periodic screening and diagnostic and treatment well-child visits (see approved screenings); document appropriate follow-up plans for positive results; and use referral resources identified in the notice for children, youth, and other customers needing additional behavioral health services. 

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

REGISTER: IHA Webinar on Margin Improvement Strategies Aug. 18
As operating margins remain a critical concern, an IHA webinar sponsored by IHA Gold Corporate Sponsor Optum will examine how hospitals and health systems can optimize operations, improve revenue capture, manage costs, and strengthen efficiency. The 1-2 p.m. CT session on Aug. 18, “Margin Improvement: Practical Strategies for Sustainable Financial Performance,” will present a practical framework for evaluating margin improvement initiatives and where your organization may be positioned to act.

Optum Advisory experts Morgan Haines and T.J. Burdine will lead the webinar designed for C-Suite and other leaders in finance, operations, strategy, revenue cycle, and patient financial services. Haines is the practice leader for margin transformation, and Burdine is senior director of finance and operations in the revenue cycle consulting practice.

The webinar is free for IHA-member hospitals and health systems. By attending, you’ll gain a sharper understanding of key financial and operational pressures affecting margins and ways to effectively address them. The program will be recorded and made available to all registrants. Register today.
 
Staff contact: Bridget McCarte

Agencies Warn of Russian Cyberattacks on Vulnerable Routers
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency joined other U.S. and global intelligence agencies to release a July 13 joint advisory, to warn Russian state-sponsored cyber actors are actively targeting vulnerable network devices across critical sectors, including healthcare. The advisory outlines how the threat actors primarily use scanning to identify poorly configured devices, primarily routers, for exploitation. The actors then obtain sensitive data and use it for malicious purposes. The advisory includes mitigation actions to help defend against potential threats. John Riggi, American Hospital Association national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, said this activity “represents an advanced and persistent cyber threat targeting U.S. healthcare,” and recommended as a first step in mitigating this threat installation of the latest network router encryption standard, Simple Network Management Protocol v3.