State Medicaid Policies for Mobile Crisis Services: A National Policy Mapping Study, August-November 2024

Objectives. To assess the specificity of Medicaid policy guidance for mobile crisis teams across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. Methods. We conducted a national policy mapping study (August-November 2024), reviewing publicly available Medicaid documents, including state plan amendments, waivers, provider manuals, and billing guidance. We extracted 53 policy features and grouped them into 15 domains. Domains included mobile crisis team-specific billing codes, age-inclusive eligibility, licensed provider requirements, and follow-up or documentation expectations, as well as defined response time frames. We coded each feature as present or absent by state. We also reviewed state appropriations for mobile crisis teams, 988 integration in Medicaid behavioral health policy, and Medicaid expansion status. Results. Most states required licensed provider involvement (96.1%) and follow-up or documentation protocols (74.5%); fewer specified billing mechanisms (68.6%) or age-inclusive eligibility (70.6%). Only 6 (11.8%) states defined response time standards. States varied widely in the number of policy supports documented. Conclusions. The specificity of Medicaid policy guidance varies widely, with gaps in billing, eligibility, and timeliness. Public Health Implications. Differences in Medicaid policy specificity may influence how mobile crisis services are implemented across states. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 8, 2026:e1-e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308471).