Policy Resources: Topic Index
Note: Click on any topic for related resources.
Addictions Treatment | Criminal/Juvenile Justice | Covering the Uninsured | Deficit Reduction Act (Medicaid impact) | Federal Budget | Health and Wellness | Medicaid | Medicare | Rate Methodology | SCHIP | TANF | Misc
Addictions Treatment
- National Council Joins More Than 200 Groups on Letter to Congress Supporting Increased SAPT Block Grant Funding
- Letter to Senator Harkin requesting increased funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant
- Draft Letter of "Advancing Prevention, Treatment & Recovery for Substance Use Disorders"
Covering the Uninsured
Criminal/Juvenile Justice
- Issue Brief: Continuity of Benefits for Justice Involved Individuals with Mental Illness
- MIOTCRA — Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act
- Thank you letter to Senators Kennedy and Domenici for introducing the MIOTCRA Reauthorization and Improvement Act, 2007
- Thank you letter to Representatives Scott and Forbes for introducing the MIOTCRA Reauthorization and Improvement Act, 2007
Deficit Reduction Act
- Final Rule on Changes to Federal Cost Sharing Rules
- Overview of the DRA
- Expanded Medicaid Coverage Under the DRA
- Medicaid Services for Children Under the DRA
- State Implementation of the DRA
- National Council comments on CMS' proposed rule on benchmark plans (CMS-2232-P)
- National Council comments on CMS' proposed rule on cost sharing (CMS-2244-P)
- Deficit Reduction Act—summary of state activity
- Deficit Reduction Act — employee education on false claims recovery
- Medicaid compliance issues from the Deficit Reduction Act
Federal Budget
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Federal Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Prevention, Treatment and Research Funding, FY 2007–2008
- Budget — President's FY 2008 budget proposes cuts to mental health and addictions treatment
- Budget — summary of President's 2008 budget (from Avalare Health)
Health & Wellness
- An avoidable tragedy — the relationship of premature death and serious mental illness
- National Council letter to Health Resources and Services Administration on primary care-behavioral health collaboration, featuring comments on HRSA's Specialty Services and Health Centers Project
- Medical homes and people with mental illness
- Medical homes — the Vermont pilot
- Medical homes — a new definition from Colorado
Medicaid
- Join Statement on Medicaid Reform Principles for 2009
- FMAP Increase Letter
- Letter from Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Representative John Dingell (D-MT), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to CMS clarifying Congressional intent on the issue of the intrinsic element/integral component standard in the Interim Final Rule on Case Management
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a guidance to States on August 1 regarding the implementation of the Targeted Case Management moratorium.
- A new template for state plan amendments was also released
- Medicaid Moratoria Bill Signed by President
- Submit Comments to CMS on the State Plan HCBS Benefit Proposed Rule
- CMS Q&A on Case Management
- Letter currently circulating among Senate Republicans urging Republicans to sign on as being opposed to any attempts to move legislation to delay seven recent Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush Administration, including those affecting case management and the rehabilitative service option, for one year
- National Council Summary on CMS's proposed rule for the State Plan HCBS Benefit
- Manager's amendment to the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 (HR 5613), approved by the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee by voice vote on April 9, 2008.
- National Council Joins More than 60 Groups in Sending Letter in Support of Legislation to Delay Seven Medicaid Regulations for One Year
- National Council comments on CMS' proposed rule on benchmark plans (CMS-2232-P)
- National Council comments on CMS' proposed rule on cost sharing (CMS-2244-P)
- Chart of Current CMS Regulations
- Targeted Case Management Moratorium Passes in Senate-House
Version Not Yet Out of Committee - Senate Approves Amendment that Would Place a Moratorium on CMS's Case Management Rule
- Partnership for Medicaid letter to House and Senate leadership voicing concern over recent Administration actions that affect Medicaid.
- Overview of The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) comparison of areas of the TCM Interim Final Rule that extend beyond the authorization of the DRA Conference Report.
- Chart of APHSA comparison.
- Moratorium on changes to Medicaid Rehabilitation and school-based services
- Medicaid case management: summary of CMS Interim Final Rule, December 4, 2007
- Medicaid case management: summary of National Council Town Hall Meeting on December 7, 2007
- CMS Clarification on Tamper-Resistant Prescription Features
- Use of tamper-resistant prescription pads delayed until April 1, 2008
- Letter of thanks for opportunity to testify at Nov. 1 hearing on “The Administration’s Regulatory Actions on Medicaid: The Effects on Patients, Doctors, Hospitals and States.”
- National Council comments to Oregon Medicaid agency opposing increase in copays for prescription medicines
- Letter to CMS re. approval process for Medicaid waivers under section 1115 of Social Security Act
- Template of letter thanking your Senator for including Medicaid moratorium in Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act
- CMS letter template with draft comments on the Medicaid rehabilitative services option
- Letter to Congressional leaders requesting one-year delay in rule requiring Medicaid prescriptions to be on tamper-resistant pads
- Increased Medicaid cost-sharing will increase healthcare costs
- Medicaid — Iowa receives federal approval to add home-and community-based services option
- Medicaid — coverage of newborns
- Medicaid reform principles — comment on a draft statement from the National Council, Mental Health America, and NAMI
- Medicaid reform in West Virginia — a consensus statement
- Medicaid cost-sharing — fact sheet
- Medicaid — provider toolkit on new citizenship and identity documentation requirements for eligibility
- Medicaid — CMS proposed rule for cost limit for providers and provisions to ensure the integrity of federal-state financial partnership
- National Provider Identifier index — implementation guidelines and impact on behavioral health providers
Medicare
- HR 6331 Summary1
- Letter to Senate Finance Committee on access to "Off Label" prescriptions in MedicarePartial Hospitalization — National Council's comments to CMS on proposed changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2008 Payment Rates
- Medicare — CMS 855, an essential requirement for Medicare billing privilege
- Medicare Part B — Competitive Acquisition Program
Rate Methodology
- Reform and restructuring of Article 31 clinical reimbursement methodology
- New York mental health clinic reimbursement rate analysis and proposal project report
- Nebraska Legislature Bill 576 to fund annual rate increases for behavioral health providers
- Nebraska Behavioral Health Coalition's talking points for provider rate increase
SCHIP
- SCHIP Reauthorization Fact Sheet
- CMS Letter Clarifying 2007 SCHIP Directive
- Senate letter requesting moratorium on CMS regulations to cut funding for school-based and rehabilitative services for children with disabilities
- House passes SCHIP
- Overview of SCHIP legislation in states
TANF
Misc
- Letter of Support to Increase the Federal Alcohol Excise Tax
- Fact Sheet on Increasing the Federal Alcohol Tax
- Letter of Support to Eliminate 2 Year Waiting Period for Medicare
- Summary of Health IT Spending Included in House and Senate Committees' Economic Stimulus Packages
- Suplemental Security Income Beneficiaries Check Sign on Letter to Senate
- Parity Fact Sheet
- Powerpoint Presentation on the 2008 Parity Act
- Meaningful Employment for Individuals with Mental Illness
- The National Council's letter of support for the Mental Health Campus Improvement Act
- August Is Congressional Recess Education Month: Invite Your Members of Congress to Visit Your Agency
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The National Council's letter of support for the Advancing America's Priorities Act
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Two new joint statements on important medications access issues were released by the National Council, American Psychiatric Association (APA), Mental Health America (MHA), and NAMI in April 2008.
-Joint Statement on Therapeutic Substitution
-Joint Statement on Medication Cost Sharing in State Medicaid Programs
In addition, the National Council, MHA, and NAMI also released a third paper:
-Joint Statement on Appropriate Utilization Management Approaches
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ASPE Issue Brief: Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services Summary
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Arkansas and Colorado Community Mental Health Systems: Helping People in Need
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National Council joins 22 groups in submitting comments on SSA appeals process
- Restraints and seclusion — analysis of CMS final patient's rights rule
- Restraints and seclusion — chart of CMS revised rules (key provisions)
