February 11, 2010

Senators Introduce Bill to Extend FMAP Increase; Tell Your Senators You Support the Extension!

President Obama to Hold Bipartisan Summit on Healthcare Reform; Deadline for Sign on Letter to the President has been Extended: TAKE ACTION!

Draft Diagnostic Criteria for DSM-5 Released This Week

Secretaries Sebelius and Vilsack Announce Plan to Increase CHIP/Medicaid Enrollment

Guidance on Usage of Emergency TANF Funds for MH/SUD Treatment Now Available Online

Your Voice Matters: Hone Your Political Influence at the 2010 Public Policy Institute and Hill Day, June 29-30 in Washington, D.C.

Senators Introduce Bill to Extend FMAP Increase; Tell Your Senators You Support the Extension!

Last week, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced S. 3000, a bill that would extend the increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) by six months.  The FMAP increase was originally enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to assist states with growing Medicaid enrollment at a time when state revenues are declining due to the recession. However, the FMAP increase is set to end on Dec. 31, 2010. S. 3000 would extend the increase through June 30, 2011, providing sorely needed relief for states during the recession and preventing drastic cuts to spending that could affect services for vulnerable populations.

The FMAP legislation has the best chance of being enacted if it is added as an amendment to the jobs bill that will likely be moving through the Senate this month.  The National Council would like to thank those of you who responded to last week’s Action Alert and sent messages to your Senators requesting their support for the bill.

If you haven’t yet contacted your Senators to urge their support for the FMAP increase, please do so today!  35 Senators have signed on as cosponsors to the legislation, but more support is needed if the FMAP extension is to pass.  This is the tipping point for the FMAP extension, and only your advocacy can help push it through.  Click here to write your Senators today.


President Obama to Hold Bipartisan Summit on Healthcare Reform; Deadline for Sign on Letter to the President has been Extended: TAKE ACTION!

Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders will join President Obama on Feb. 25th for a bipartisan summit on healthcare reform in Washington, D.C.  Obama called for the summit to provide a forum where Democrats and Republicans could openly discuss their ideas on healthcare reform and find compromises that would allow Congress to move forward on reform legislation.  While the outcome of this summit is uncertain, it is intended to reignite the momentum behind healthcare reform and imbue the process with a sense of transparency that some critics said was lacking during the Congressional debates over the last year.

As the President and the Congress continue to strategize on how to move forward on healthcare reform, it is vital that the President hears support for reform from community providers.  The National Council has extended the deadline for signatures on our letter to President Obama in support of moving forward on healthcare reform.  If you have not already signed the letter, please click here to sign on before COB February 17th.

To keep up-to-date on the latest developments in healthcare reform, join us for the next webinar in our Healthcare Reform Update series.  The webinar will be held on Tues., Feb. 16 at 2:00pm EST. Registration is available online.


Draft Diagnostic Criteria for DSM-5 Released This Week

The American Psychiatric Association, which is currently undertaking a review and revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), has announced that the draft diagnostic criteria for the upcoming edition were released online this week. The APA is seeking public comments and feedback on the draft criteria for the DSM-5. Comments can be submitted through the DSM-5 website. The deadline for submission of comments is Apr. 20, 2010. The final DSM-5 is expected to be published in May 2013.


Secretaries Sebelius and Vilsack Announce Plan to Increase CHIP/Medicaid Enrollment

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Tom Vilsack of the Department of Agriculture have announced a campaign to increase the enrollment of eligible children into CHIP and Medicaid. The five-year campaign, known as “Connecting Kids to Coverage,” will use data from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Percentage program (also known as Food Stamps) to identify uninsured children who may be eligible to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP. Sebelius and Vilsack said the new program was an effort to build on the success of the past year’s enrollment increases: 2.6 million children have been added to Medicaid and CHIP in the year since CHIP was reauthorized by Congress.


Guidance on Usage of Emergency TANF Funds for MH/SUD Treatment Now Available Online

In last week’s Public Policy Update, the National Council reported that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) had issued guidance on how emergency funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) could be used for the provision of short-term substance abuse disorder and mental health treatment for families in need. This guidance has now been published on the ACF website. For questions, contact SAMHSA or the Office of Family Assistance at the Welfare Peer TA network.


Your Voice Matters: Hone Your Political Influence at the 2010 Public Policy Institute and Hill Day, June 29-30 in Washington, D.C.

Research shows that only about 14% of the general public have contacted their elected officials about a policy issue in the last year. Yet, congressional staff say that personalized contacts from constituents make up 5 of the top 6 most influential communications that impact elected officials’ decisions.  In fact, in-person visits from constituents have more influence on Congress than any other type of communication!

At Hill Day 2010, not only will you have a chance to meet with your elected officials in person, you will also be able to participate in workshops to learn how to hone your message and maximize your political impact.  Join us and hundreds of your colleagues from around the country for two days of policy sessions, workshops, and meetings with your elected officials to discuss the policy issues of importance to your communities!

Participating in Hill Day is easy:

• Register now using our easy online registration tool. Registration is free and open to all members.
• Book your hotel room at the Hyatt Regency by calling 202-737-1234 and mentioning the National Council room block.
• Start setting up appointments with your Members of Congress and the Washington branch of your Governor’s office. The National Council has created a guide to help you with scheduling your Hill visits and planning for a successful meeting, including tips on how to effectively communicate your priorities to your elected officials. Don’t know who your elected officials are?  Click here to find out!

Check out the Hill Day 2010 page of our website to see a tentative schedule of events, see a map of the hotel and Capitol Hill area, find restaurants or 4th of July events in D.C., and much more!

Questions? Contact Rebecca Farley at rebeccaf@thenationalcouncil.org or 202-684-7457 ext. 235.