July 2026 Top of Mind

OASAS delays four Part 822 changes, others implemented as planned

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) has implemented most of Part 822 Medicaid policy and reimbursement changes originally scheduled to take effect July 1 and July 6, 2026. Several of the planned changes have been delayed.

The following updates took effect on July 1, 2026:

• Expedited initial/pre-admission assessment – Enhanced payment is available for initial assessments completed on the same day or the day following the referral. This enhancement may be applied only once per admission.
• Brief treatment (reduced time) – Shorter visits for counseling are now allowed (8-14 minutes).
• E&M payment increase – Certain evaluation and management (E&M) codes with modifiers will receive 20% enhancement under a new population health initiative.
• XP Modifier – Allows billing for an additional E&M service when provided by a different practitioner on the same day.
• I/DD and TBI Reimbursement – Services for individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) will receive a 50% higher payment rate.
• Clarification on OTP Billing for Dual Populations: Peer support (H0038) and complex care management (90882) can no longer be billed on Medicare crossover claims.

These Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)-specific changes were effective July 6, 2026:

• Toxicology Carve Out of OTP and MAT in Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment – Toxicology services should now be billed separately from OTP and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services in outpatient programs.
• Guest dosing for MAT – Two new procedure codes have been added for guest dosing of methadone and buprenorphine.

The following planned changes did not go into effect on July 1:

OASAS has delayed implementation for the following Part 822 Medicaid policy and reimbursement changes originally scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026. A new effective date for these four items has not yet been announced.

• Brief treatment weight increase (H0004)
• Changes to brief counseling (900832/G0396)
• Unbundling Methadone/Buprenorphine weekly bundles (G2067, G2068)
• Take-home medication supply payments

Questions?

Additional details are available on the OASAS website. If you have questions, feel free to email your Provider Advocate or call Optum Behavioral Health Provider Services 1-877-614-0484, 7 a.m.―7 p.m. CT, Monday – Friday.