Public Policy Update: June 3, 2010
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June 3, 2010
Last week, Congress came closer than ever before to passing an extension of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rates. But the FMAP provision was removed in a last-minute deal as the House voted to approve H.R. 4213. Now, as the bill moves to the Senate, we have another chance to put federal aid for Medicaid back into the bill – but it won’t happen without your vocal support.
With the midterm elections approaching, some legislators are growing wary about increases to federal spending. They need to know that their constituents support the FMAP extension – they need to hear from you. The Senate will decide by Tuesday whether to reinstate the FMAP extension into H.R. 4213. Write your Senators a message today, and make sure they know how much this issue matters to your state!
Click here to show your support for the FMAP extension, then forward this message to your friends and colleagues so they can do the same. Don’t wait – your vocal support is crucial for the FMAP extension to pass!
National Council Releases FAQs Resource on Behavioral Health IT Bill; Help Build Support at Hill Day 2010!
As part of our 2010 Public Policy Institute and Hill Day, National Council members will be visiting their Members of Congress to request that they cosponsor the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010 (H.R. 5040). This bill, introduced by Reps. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI), Tim Murphy (R-PA), Gene Green (D-TX), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), and Chris Murphy (D-CT), would extend federal HIT incentive payments to certain behavioral health providers and organizations that are currently ineligible. The National Council has created a document with answers to frequently asked questions about the HIT bill, including which providers will be eligible and the bill’s effect on current federal privacy laws.
There are now 28 cosponsors on H.R. 5040, showing a steady gain since the bill was introduced in April. We are pushing hard for action on behavioral health IT this year – and to improve our chances, we need 100 cosponsors on the bill. Join hundreds of your colleagues from around the country to advocate for the inclusion of behavioral health in federal HIT initiatives at Hill Day 2010! It’s not too late to register – click here to register today.
Can’t make it to Hill Day, but want to show your support for behavioral health IT? Click here to write your Representative an email urging him or her to become a cosponsor!
With the passage of federal healthcare reform and the subsequent expansion of Medicaid, individuals with mental health and substance use disorders and the providers that serve them will see changes within state Medicaid programs. Join us for the next in the National Council’s Healthcare Reform Implementation webinar series as Ann Clemency Kohler discusses what's in store as state Medicaid programs begin to implement the law. The webinar, titled “Medicaid Expansion and the Impact on Behavioral Health,” will take place on Tuesday, June 8th at 2:00 p.m. eastern time. Registration is available online.
Ann Clemency Kohler joined the American Public Human Services Association in July 2008. As head of the Health Services Unit, she serves as Executive Director of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors. Formerly, Ann was Medicaid Director for the State of New York, the largest Medicaid agency in the country. She also served as Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services.
On May 28, Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Gene Green (D-TX) introduced H.R. 5466, a bill to reauthorize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA, the agency that administers grant programs and data collection for the nation’s mental health infrastructure, was established in 1992. With this reauthorization bill, Congress is showing its recognition of the importance of mental health and substance use disorders services. The SAMHSA Modernization Act of 2010 (H.R. 5466) includes the reauthorization of many programs of interest to community behavioral health organizations, including:
- Supportive services for homeless individuals;
- Early detection and intervention for mental illness and substance abuse disorders;
- Substance use disorder treatment and early intervention services for children and adolescents;
- Youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies;
- Grants for the integrated treatment of serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders;
- Grants for jail diversion programs;
- And much more.
Click here to read a section-by-section summary of the bill. The full text will be available soon.
The National Council is pleased to offer its successful year-long learning community to a new cohort of sites. The 2010/2011 Learning Community will focus on accelerating adoption of best practices in coordinating primary and behavioral healthcare for individuals with serious mental health and substance use disorders served in the behavioral health setting. We welcome both community mental health and addiction providers and community health centers to participate in this important practice improvement initiative, which embraces a shared learning model and utilizes rapid cycle quality improvement strategies.
The 2010/2011 Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Learning Community will be led by Laura Galbreath and Jeff Capobianco. The cost for participation is $5,000 per organization. Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Learning Community members receive:
- Bi-monthly learning session webinars with leading experts in primary care and behavioral health coordination
- An online networking site that includes a dedicated library of tools and resources available only to Learning Community members; Wiki tools that allow for the development of new resources across learning community members; and a robust discussion board to facilitate shared learning
- Access to process benchmarking activities designed to identify top performing organizations and the techniques favored by top performers are potential best practices
- Individual consultation and coaching by leaders in primary and behavioral healthcare integration
- A one-day Learning Community Congress to be held during the National Council’s 2011 conference in San Diego, CA.
Visit the National Council’s Resource Center for Primary and Behavioral Health Collaboration to read more and join us on an informational webinar at 4:00pm (EDT) on June 7, 2010, to learn about the Learning Community’s core components and to explore what you can gain by participating. The registration deadline is June 18, 2010. Participation is limited to the first 25 organizations. To be considered, please email Thea Browning. The Learning Community will begin on June 23, 2010.
The House on Friday voted to approve an allocation of $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund as part of a package of tax credit extensions and the Medicare doctor payment “fix.” The National Housing Trust Fund is designed to address the serious shortage of affordable housing for lowest income families by providing communities with the necessary funds to build and/or rehabilitate rental homes that are affordable for very low income households, including people who are unemployed, veterans, and elderly and disabled people on fixed incomes. Although the NHTF was established in 2008, Congress has not yet appropriated funding for its operations. According to an estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee, the $1 billion allocation will support the immediate production of 10,000 rental homes, creating 15,000 new construction jobs and 4,000 new jobs in ongoing operations.
On May 28th, the Federal Trade Commission announced it is delaying the implementation of the “Red Flags Rule” through Dec. 31, 2010 while Congress considers legislation that would affect the scope of the entities covered by the rule. The Red Flag Rule requires financial institutions and creditors to develop and implement written identity theft programs. The bill, H.R. 3763, would exclude healthcare practices and certain other small businesses with 20 or fewer employees from being defined as “creditors.” It would also allow all businesses to apply to the FTC for an exemption from the rule. The FTC had previously ruled that healthcare providers qualify as creditors due to their billing process. H.R. 3763 was approved by the House and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
As healthcare reform is implemented over the coming years, new payment models and delivery system reforms will have wide-ranging implications for the behavioral health field. Don’t get left behind as the healthcare sector evolves and adapts to changes being made at the state and federal levels – come to the National Council’s 2010 Public Policy Institute and Hill Day, and learn strategies for how your organization can thrive under what’s in store!
Dale Jarvis of MCPP Consulting will present “Implementing Healthcare Reform: New Payment Models” on June 29th during our Public Policy Institute. An expert on health care financing and payment models, Jarvis is also a key consultant for the National Council’s Payment Reform Workgroup. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to hear one of the leading experts in our field discuss the payment and delivery system reforms included in the bill, provide insights into how these reforms will interact with your state’s current system, and identify strategies to best position yourself to be ready for the changes ahead. Click here to register for Hill Day today! Then visit our website to see the latest updates to the Hill Day schedule, learn how to amplify your voice during your Capitol Hill visits, and more!
