January 14, 2010

Over 900 Messages Sent to Senators In Response to FMAP Extension Action Alert; National Council Thanks 38 Senators Who Signed Support Letter

House and Senate Negotiators Debate Details of Healthcare Reform

Change in Medicare Law Improves Access to Low-Income Subsidies for Prescription Drugs

Apply to Participate in Naturalistic Study of Clients with SMI: Prospective Observational Study to Analyze Treatment and Decision-Making Patterns in Community Behavioral Health Organizations

Save the Date for the National Council’s 6th Annual Hill Day: June 29-30, 2010

Over 900 Messages Sent to Senators In Response to FMAP Extension Action Alert; National Council Thanks 38 Senators Who Signed Support Letter

The National Council would like to extend our gratitude to the 38 Senators who signed on to a Dear Colleague Letter urging Majority Leader Harry Reid to support an extension of the increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) that was originally enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The letter, which was circulated by Senators Michael Bennet (CO), John Kerry (MA), Al Franken (MN), Jack Reed (RI), and Jay Rockefeller (WV), urged Reid to extend the FMAP increase and include robust long-term FMAP financing for states in the final healthcare reform conference report.

We would also like to thank our members for responding to an Action Alert regarding this letter and sending over 900 advocacy messages to the Senate.  Click here to see a final list of the signatories on the letter. If your Senator signed on to this letter, please send him/her a thank you note to emphasize the importance of this issue.  Not sure who your Senator is? Click here to find out.


House and Senate Negotiators Debate Details of Healthcare Reform

The House and Senate continued their negotiations over healthcare reform in a meeting with President Obama on Wednesday in an attempt to reconcile the remaining differences between the two chambers’ bills.  Some of the major questions negotiators are trying to address include:
 

• Type of Health Insurance Exchange: Should there be a single national exchange (House), or should each state implement its own exchange (Senate)?
• Individual Subsidies: At what income levels will individuals be eligible to receive subsidies for the purchase of insurance, and what will the amount of those subsidies be?
• Benefit Tiers: How many tiers of insurance coverage should there be, and what will be the actuarial value of the plans in each tier?
• Employer Mandate: How will the small business exemption be defined? What will be the penalties for failure to comply with the employer mandate?
• Medicaid expansion: Will individuals be eligible for Medicaid up to 150% FPL (House) or 133% FPL (Senate)?
• Revenue: What combination of taxes/fees on household income, goods and services, and sectors of the health industry should be used to pay for reform?
• Abortion Services: What types of abortion coverage will be permissible for plans in the exchange?

For a full comparison of the differences between the House and Senate bills, see the National Council’s side-by-side chart.

The National Council has signed on to several coalition letters in support of various mental health and addictions treatment provisions in the two bills.  These include a Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease letter on improving the management of chronic disease and the wellness/prevention provisions in healthcare reform; a Coalition for Whole Health letter outlining the importance of maintaining strong mental health and addictions provisions in the final bill; and an End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare letter urging Congress to adopt the House provisions on Medicaid eligibility, premium subsidies, and caps on age rating.

For further updates, join us for the next in our Healthcare Reform Update webinar series on Feb. 1 at 2pm EST.  Registration is available on our website.  Recordings and slides from previous healthcare reform webinars can also be accessed on our website.


Change in Medicare Law Improves Access to Low-Income Subsidies for Prescription Drugs

Under changes to Medicare that were enacted in the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, beginning this month, one million seniors will be newly eligible for subsidies to assist them with purchasing prescription drugs.  The Extra Help program, which provides the subsidies for low-income seniors, has relaxed its eligibility criteria to allow more seniors to take advantage of the extra assistance.  Beginning this month, life insurance policies and any income that seniors regularly receive from others for assistance with household expenses can no longer be counted as resources and income when calculating eligibility for the program.

Seniors who wish to take advantage of the eligibility changes can apply online, by phone (1-800-772-1213), or at their local Social Security office. Seniors who already participate in the Extra Help program do NOT need to reapply.  More information is available on the Social Security Administration’s Frequently Asked Questions page.


Apply to Participate in Naturalistic Study of Clients with SMI: Prospective Observational Study to Analyze Treatment and Decision-Making Patterns in Community Behavioral Health Organizations

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare invites member organizations to apply to participate in an industry-funded prospective study evaluating real-world treatment and decision making for clients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or bipolar disorders. This study aims to provide observational data to further our understanding about current antipsychotic treatment, practice patterns, and healthcare utilization in community behavioral healthcare organizations (CBHOs).

Participating CBHOs will be asked to complete baseline, 6-month, and 12-month face-to-face interviews and data extraction from medical records and/or an electronic health record for participants in the study (clients at the CBHO). Key site staff (a site principle investigator and/or research coordinator) will be asked to attend an in-person one-day launch meeting and a web-training seminar prior to the start of the study. Site staff attending the launch meeting will be reimbursed for travel costs.

It is expected that sites be able to recruit at least 50 study participants over a 12-month recruitment period; both the CBHO and study participants will receive compensation for their participation.

If your organization would like to apply, please complete the site screening questionnaire and email it to Mohini Venkatesh, Director of Federal & State Policy. The deadline for submissions is COB on Friday, January 29th.

If you have questions about the study or application process, please contact Mohini Venkatesh at mohiniv@thenationalcouncil.org or 202-684-7457 ext 230. 


Save the Date for the National Council’s 6th Annual Hill Day: June 29-30, 2010
 
Make your voice heard on Capitol Hill!  Join us for the National Council's 6th Annual Hill Day on June 29-30th, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency.  The Hyatt is located right on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. You can book your hotel room at a rate of $239/night by calling the hotel: 202-737-1234 and mentioning the National Council room block.  Registration for Hill Day will begin later this month.  Stay tuned to the Public Policy Update and the Hill Day 2010 page of our website for further updates, including a link to the registration tool when it becomes available, a schedule of events, speakers, and much more!