Capitol Connector

Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

A bipartisan bill that would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model was introduced Thursday (3/14) in both chambers of Congress by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). The Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 824/ […]

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

On Monday, President Trump unveiled his Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget request — calling for $4.7 trillion decrease in federal spending and detailing his Administration’s priorities for next year. The document revives efforts to block grant Medicaid and restrict eligibility, maintains spending to combat opioid addiction, and outlines other major health care priorities. As with most presidential budgets, this proposal stands little chance of being enacted into law as written. Instead, the President’s budget proposal will act more as a messaging tool to Congress, which is currently working to develop and pass a budget for FY 2020 over the next few months

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Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

A recently proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), if enacted, would threaten Medicare Part D participants’ access to critical prescription drugs including those often needed by individuals living with mental illness. The Partnership for Part D Access, of which the National Council for Behavioral Health is a founding member, hosted […]

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Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

The National Council for Behavioral Health has been at the forefront of developing a national model for mental health and addiction treatment called Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), created under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014. CCBHCs have been filling the gap in the unmet need for addiction care, supporting local criminal justice systems by providing effective diversion and reentry solutions, and increasing access to evidence-based behavioral health treatment across the country. As the end of the CCBHC demonstration looms, the National Council remains committed to expanding this critical and effective model.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

Addiction workforce advocates presented on the Hill this week as part of a congressional staff briefing exploring opportunities for Congress to better equip front-line providers to prevent and treat opioid and other addictions. The hearing featured testimony from Mary-Catherine Bohan, representing a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) from New Jersey, who shared how the CCBHC model is transforming her clinic’s ability to hire addiction treatment professionals and serve more patients.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

In a landmark ruling, a federal court held Tuesday that health insurance giant United Behavioral Health (UBH), which serves over 60 million members and is owned by UnitedHealth Group, used flawed internal guidelines to unlawfully deny beneficiaries access to mental health and substance use treatment in an effort to cut costs. The ruling marks a validation for patients and providers who have long raised concerns that health plans were not fulfilling the requirements set forth in the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which established parity between the coverage of behavioral health and medical/surgical benefits.

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Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

A bipartisan bill that would allow states to restart Medicaid coverage for eligible incarcerated individuals up to 30 days before their release from jail or prison was introduced this week by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Michael Turner (R-OH). The Medicaid Reentry Act (H.R. 1329) is an important step toward improving access to much-needed mental health and substance use services for one of the most vulnerable populations in the country.

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Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

A new informational bulletin from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) suggests a range of strategies for states to promote non-opioid chronic pain management options within their Medicaid programs by leveraging waivers, bundled payments, and other mechanisms. The bulletin builds upon previous CMS guidance to highlight successful programs already in place in some states and to describe Medicaid authorities at states’ disposal.

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Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a component of the White House responsible for coordinating the nation’s response to drug-related issues such as the opioid overdose epidemic, last week released its first National Drug Control Strategy since President Trump took office. The strategy calls on federal agencies to focus their efforts on preventing individuals from initiating use of illicit drugs, providing adequate evidence-based treatment for individuals living with addiction, and reducing the availability of illicit drugs via law enforcement activities.

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Michael Petruzzelli

Manager, Policy and Advocacy, National Council for Behavioral Health

New bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate would create greater access to mental health care, particularly for rural areas. The bill – the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (H.R. 945/S. 286) – would allow marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and licensed mental health counselors to directly bill Medicare for their services. Similar legislation has been introduced in previous sessions of Congress and again has the strong support of the National Council.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

On Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D draft call letter for 2020, which outlines changes to Medicare plan policies and payments each year.

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Rebecca Farley David

Vice President, Policy & Advocacy

State Medicaid programs should work with managed care organizations to ensure beneficiaries have timely access to robust provider networks, the National Council urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in comments submitted Monday. Our comments were submitted in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by CMS in November that proposed to roll back prior regulations on Medicaid and CHIP managed care. While CMS indicated the new proposed rules are intended to “increase state flexibility,” the National Council is concerned they would result in loss of access to mental health and addiction treatment providers.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

The 116th Congress began on Thursday amid a government funding lapse that has shut down roughly 25 percent of the federal government. Democrats are set to lead the House chamber for the first time since 2010, while Republicans remain in control in the Senate. While legislation may be move less quickly in the new divided Congress, lawmakers will still face a number of “must-pass” bills that include health care priorities. Additionally, the Trump Administration will continue to shape the health care landscape with Medicaid waivers and potential payment reforms. Here is a preview of what’s ahead in health policy in 2019.

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Shelley Starkey

Policy & Advocacy Coordinator

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved waivers from Michigan and Maine last month that would allow the states to implement requirements for Medicaid enrollees to report work or “community engagement” activities each month or risk losing health coverage. Michigan and Maine join five other states that have had Medicaid work requirement waivers approved, while more than ten others are in the process of requesting similar changes to their Medicaid programs. The National Council stands strongly opposed to any provisions that create barriers to health coverage for individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, including Medicaid work requirements.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is currently accepting clinician applications for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program. The program offers up to $75,000 in student loan repayment for clinicians who work at least three years providing substance use treatment at an approved site. Applicants that have a DATA-2000 waiver to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder, work in an opioid treatment program or are licensed or certified in substance use interventions, will receive priority. Applications will be accepted on or before February 21, 2019.

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Michael Petruzzelli

Manager, Policy and Advocacy, National Council for Behavioral Health

Late last month, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma sent a letter to state Medicaid directors describing ways states can improve care and reduce burdens for individuals who are dually-eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. This population of individuals tends to have complex medical and behavioral health needs and accounts for a disproportionate share of federal spending for both programs. The letter outlines ten opportunities for states to improve care for the dually-eligible population in 2019.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

Late last week, Judge Reed O’Connor found the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to be unconstitutional following Congress’ repeal of the individual mandate penalty in 2017. Most importantly, the law remains in effect pending what is likely to be a lengthy appeals process. Nonetheless, the ruling will likely have significant impacts on the health care debate in Washington and around the country. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which will likely consider it at some point in 2019, and the case could eventually be heard by the Supreme Court.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

On March 25-27th, behavioral health’s premier conference, NatCon19, will kick off in Nashville, TN. NatCon19 is where the best in behavioral health gather to learn from industry experts, take in world-class entertainment, keep up on the most innovative products, and make new connections. Policy and advocacy are always a special focus at NatCon. This year, our NatCon19 Policy Track will help you gain understanding of the latest policy challenges and solutions and guidance on how you can influence policy to better support clinics and patients.

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

Earlier this week, the Senate and House both voted to pass the First Step Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the nation’s criminal justice system. Notably, the First Step Act includes a reauthorization of the Second Chance Act, a law that supports state and local reentry programs to reduce recidivism and provides people leaving prison with post-release supportive services, including mental health and addiction treatment. President Trump is expected to sign the measure into law on Friday (12/21).

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Stephanie Pellitt

Policy Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

Last week, the National Council for Behavioral Health submitted comments to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the Trump Administration’s proposed rule that would allow legal immigrants to be denied lawful permanent residency if they enroll in Medicaid or other public benefits. The proposed rule would expand the definition of “public charge,” a test that determines if immigrants are likely to become dependent on government for subsistence, to include federal health, housing and nutrition programs. The National Council expressed strong opposition to the rule as it would deter legal immigrant families from seeking health care coverage, harming the health of millions of adults and children.

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