Addressing Psychiatric Bed Capacity: Evidence From Medicaid's Institutions for Mental Disease Waivers for Serious Mental Illness

While SMI/SED waivers offer the potential to address psychiatric bed shortages, these waivers alone may not suffice to increase inpatient capacity. Given the low uptake and absence of significant change in bed capacity, SMI/SED waivers may need to be redesigned to meet the growing mental health needs of the Medicaid population.