National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Congressional leaders and White House officials reached a sweeping deal on Monday that would address pressing deadlines for the federal debt ceiling and budgetary spending caps. The Bipartisan Budget Act (H.R. 3877) represents the largest-ever increase in base funding above sequestration levels for both defense and nondefense spending. The deal also effectively ends the threat of sequestration – a mandatory automatic spending cuts put in place in 2011.   The House passed the bill on Thursday, and the Senate is expected to hold its vote next week.

Read More on Deal Reached on Budget Caps and Debt Ceiling, On to Senate for Approval 

More than 50 percent of incarcerated individuals in the U.S. meet criteria for substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD). Last month, Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a bill to increase treatment for OUD among incarcerated individuals and address the issue that inmates are 40 times more likely to die from a fatal opioid overdose in the first two weeks following release. The Community Re-Entry through Addiction Treatment to Enhance (CREATE) Opportunities Act (S. 1983) would establish a grant program to provide more medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options while incarcerated and continued access to care upon release.

Read More on New Legislation Introduced to Increase MAT Access in Correctional Facilities 

On Tuesday, the Bipartisan Opioid Task Force held a roundtable discussion on an increasing threat within the opioid epidemic: fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids are the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States, causing over 28,000 deaths in 2017. The roundtable meeting focused on expanding the behavioral health workforce, new criminal justice interventions, innovative pharmacological treatments, and recently proposed legislation.

Read More on Congressional Roundtable Addresses Increasing Threat Within Opioid Epidemic 

Congress has the authority to review and overturn Trump Administration guidance on state innovation waivers according to a report released this week by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued last October, relaxed requirements around Section 1332 waivers, the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) vehicle for states to make changes to their individual insurance markets. GAO’s opinion states that the guidance is subject to review by Congress and can be overruled with a simple majority vote in both chambers.

Read More on GAO Report: Congress Can Undo Trump Administration ACA Waiver Guidance 

Last week, the Partnership for Medicaid, a nonpartisan advocacy coalition including the National Council, hosted a congressional staff briefing to discuss and unravel some of the most common misconceptions about the Medicaid program and its beneficiaries. The briefing focused specifically on individuals who receive health care via Medicaid and its impact on their lives. The diverse panel of speakers provided an overview of how millions of Americans benefit from the Medicaid program and how Medicaid expansion has led to increases in coverage, access to care and improved health outcomes for beneficiaries.

Read More on Medicaid Myths: Debunking Common Misconceptions of the Medicaid Program 

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2019 (H.R. 3591), introduced late last month, would help institutions of higher education support students experiencing substance use disorder (SUD). The bill aims to implement evidence-based programs, promote collaboration between schools and state treatment agencies, and encourage integration between primary care, mental health and SUD services in campus-based health centers. The National Council applauds Representatives David Trone (D-MD), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Chris Pappas (D-NH), John Joyce (R-PA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), and Michael Guest (R-MS) for their leadership on this issue.

Read More on Bipartisan House Bill Would Support College Students Living with Addiction