AHCCCS News & Updates 
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March 24, 2022

Changes to Regional Behavioral Health Authorities Coming Oct. 1, 2022 with Contract Expansion


October 1, 2022 is the effective date of expanded AHCCCS Complete Care contracts with three managed care organizations, Mercy Care, Arizona Complete Health-Complete Care Plan, and Care1st, who will provide integrated health care services for members with a Serious Mental Illness designation.

Formerly called Regional Behavioral Health Authorities (RBHAs), these new contracts will be known as AHCCCS Complete Care Contractors with Regional Behavioral Health Agreements, or ACC-RBHAs. The current Geographic Service Areas (GSAs) will be aligned to match the ACC and ALTCS-EPD service areas. Gila County will move from the North GSA to the Central GSA, and Pinal County will move from the South GSA to the Central GSA; thus Central will expand from one county to three (Maricopa, Gila, and Pinal).

Today, each existing RBHA operates a Crisis Phone Line in their assigned GSA. With contract expansion, the three ACC-RBHAs will select a single crisis phone line vendor to serve statewide. Existing statewide crisis telephone numbers will remain for at least one-year. This statewide crisis phone line will operate in addition to the new national 988 mental health crisis phone line slated to be implemented this summer.

Read more on the Behavioral Health web page, including Contract Expansion FAQs for Providers and Contract Expansion FAQs for Members.

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