Public Policy Update: April 8, 2010
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April 8, 2010
State budgets are being devastated by the economic downturn - and mental health services have been hard hit. Since 2009, states have been forced to make $1.6 billion in cuts to mental health funding. Meanwhile, increased demand for services during the recession is placing a greater strain than ever before on the public mental health safety net.
In this economic climate, we must leverage every possible funding source to preserve funding for community behavioral health services. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is circulating a Dear Colleague letter urging the Senate to support a $100 million increase in the Community Mental Health Block Grant. Funding for the Block Grant has remained stagnant for years, leaving providers with fewer resources and less purchasing power.
A $100 million increase would relieve some of the strain on state mental health budgets and forestall planned cuts - but we must demonstrate the widespread support for this funding increase if it is to be included in the budget! Contact your Senators TODAY, and urge them to sign on to the Stabenow Dear Colleague letter! Follow this link to tell your Senators to stand up against cuts to mental health services, and stay tuned to our Action Alerts for other opportunities to protect community mental health and addiction services.
New Resources On Healthcare Reform Now Available; National Council Webinar to Offer Tips on Contracting with MCOs
The National Council this week is releasing several resources designed to help states, communities, providers, and advocates understand the provisions and impact of the new healthcare reform law:
- Summary of Major Provisions of the Law: This chart provides an overview of the major provisions of the law that are of interest to community behavioral health providers.
- Webinar on Tips for Contracting with MCOs: In the next webinar in our Healthcare Reform Implementation series, Julia Gonen of DC-based law firm Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP will present on “What to Expect When Contracting with Managed Care Organizations.” The webinar will cover changes providers can expect from healthcare reform and implementation of the Wellstone-Domenici Parity Law, and how to think strategically about your relationships with managed care entities in your state. The webinar will take place on Fri., Apr. 9th at 2:00pm eastern time. Registration is available online.
- “Healthcare Reform: What Happens Next?” View the slides and recording from our first healthcare reform implementation webinar, led by Linda Rosenberg, CEO & President, and Chuck Ingoglia, Vice President, Public Policy. This webinar reviewed the major components of the law and discussed initial steps for implementation.
Additional helpful resources include:
- Medicaid Maintenance of Effort: The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have published a memo with detailed information on how states may comply with the Medicaid Maintenance of Effort requirements in healthcare reform.
- HHS Health Reform Blog: The Department of Health and Human Services has launched a blog to provide information and answer questions about the implementation of healthcare reform. The blog includes the latest news about implementation, an interactive map to help you find out how health reform will impact your state, and weekly web chats where HHS officials will answer your questions about health reform.
The National Council would like to thank our members who responded to last week’s action alert urging you to thank your members of Congress for their hard work on healthcare reform. You generated nearly 600 messages to Congress! Saying thank you can make all the difference – if you haven’t already contacted your Members of Congress, please do so today!
With the passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) and continued Congressional efforts to pass substantive healthcare reform, behavioral health has come of age and is indeed being viewed as fundamental to good general health. A new report prepared by Barbara Mauer for the National Council, Substance Use Disorders and the Person-Centered Healthcare Home, examines the integration of substance use treatments into patient-centered healthcare homes. The report emphasizes that substance use disorders are often chronic health conditions requiring ongoing care management to help patients manage their medical conditions and improve health status, in order to reduce spending on medical services.
On Tuesday, April 6th, the National Council held a webinar to discuss this new report. Presenters examined how person-centered healthcare homes can be developed through partnerships between substance use treatment providers and primary care providers and explored the key features of integrated substance use treatment. The slides and recording of the webinar are available online.
Medicare Access for Patients Rx (MAPRx), of which the National Council is a member, has submitted comments to the Senate Aging Committee for a recent hearing on drug costs within Part D. The statement calls attention to the multiple factors that influence patients’ adherence to prescription regimens and expresses concern about the increased burden that cost-sharing is having upon beneficiaries’ health. MAPRx urges the Committee and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to address issues related to:
- Raising the price threshold for specialty tier medications;
- Creating an appeals process for medications placed on specialty tiers; and
- Directing Medicare Payment Advisory Commision (MedPAC) to review prescription drug plan policies to make sure they do not violate nondiscrimination rules and study the impact cost-sharing is having upon beneficiaries’ health.
The full statement is available online.
The Senate Judiciary Committee in March voted to approve S. 2772, the Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act. This bill is intended to address issues in the growth of prison populations by providing grants that will help state and local governments analyze incarceration trends, understand the growth drivers in their jail/prison populations, and develop customized policies to reduce corrections expenditures and increase the effectiveness of current spending. S. 2772 is sponsored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Cornyn (R-TX), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), and Russ Feingold (D-WI). A companion bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Dan Lungren (R-CA). Additional information about justice reinvestment issues is available on the Council of State Governments Justice Center website.
Sec. 6404 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act makes several changes to the Medicare timely filing requirements. Under the new law, all claims from before Jan. 1, 2010 must be filed by Dec. 31, 2010. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2010, all claims must be filed within one year after the date of service in order to be considered timely. For example, claims made on Jan. 2, 2010 must be filed by Jan. 2, 2011; claims made on Apr. 8, 2010 must be filed by Apr. 8, 2011, and so on. Prior to these changes, providers had up to 3 calendar years to file claims.
