MaineCare to cover traditional Wabanaki healing practices

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted the state a waiver to expand Medicaid coverage. This will allow tribal health clinics to bill MaineCare for traditional Wabanaki healing practices, such as smudging, sweat lodges, and talking circles.

While these practices are already provided by tribal clinics, they currently rely on alternative revenue sources. The implementation of this coverage is expected to occur by 2028, following negotiations between tribal leaders and state officials regarding specific coverage details. The expansion must remain budget neutral under federal terms.

The waiver was originally intended to provide MaineCare coverage for the treatment of incarcerated individuals up to 60 days before their reentry into society. Maine is the first state in the eastern United States to receive such a waiver, joining Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah.