Parity and Health Care Reform WEBINAR

Important Changes for Behavioral Health
Health Care Reform is anything but over. Most of the details of how new health care legislation will actually be implemented are still being worked out and YOU can have a voice in this process.

View the webinar HERE
Download the webinar video HERE













































Learn how the Affordable Care Act will affect mental health and substance use treatment and services. download PDF HERE

Behavioral Health Information Technology Bill Gains Sponsors

One of the key issues that advocates raised with federal legislators during Mental Health America’s recent Hill Lobby Day was support for legislation to extend health information technology assistance eligibility to behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse professionals and facilities (H.R. 5040). The work of advocates is paying off. Since the Conference, 24 House members have signed onto the bill. The full text of the legislation and current list of cosponsors can be found here. If your House member has not signed on, please contact them and urge they do so.

H.R.5040
Title: Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010
Sponsor: Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] (introduced 4/15/2010) Cosponsors (48)
Related Bills: H.R.5025

SUMMARY:
Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the definition of "health care provider" for purposes of health information technology provisions to include a behavioral or mental health professional, a substance abuse professional, a psychiatric hospital, a behavioral and mental health clinic, and a substance abuse treatment facility.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, to award grants to eligible entities to: (1) facilitate the purchase of health information technology; (2) enhance the use of such technology, including covering costs associated with upgrading such technology in order to meet the criteria required to become a certified electronic health record (EHR) technology; (3) train personnel in the use of such technology; (4) improve the secure electronic exchange of health information among behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, and other health care providers; (5) improve such technology for adaptation to community-based behavioral health settings; (6) assist with the implementation of telemedicine, including facilitation of distance clinical consultations in rural and underserved areas; and (7) collaborate and integrate with health information technology regional extension centers.

Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to include qualified clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric hospitals, mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities within the health professionals, hospitals, and Medicaid providers eligible for incentive payments for the meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

Psychiatric Advance Directive Training at UVA

A group of Virginia's most respected authorities on Psychiatric Advance Directives held a training at Region Ten Community Service Board Conference Center June 10-11. Representatives from numerous Virginia mental health organizations and other interested stakeholders attended. Dr. Bonnie and his Colleagues unveiled the latest version of their Psychiatric Advance Directive form. The Virginia Hospital Association and many other stake holders were actively engaged in the creation of this form, making it the most inclusive and widely recognized PAD form in Virginia. You can download this form HERE, or you can view it online at our website HERE. Online video coverage of the entire training is forthcoming on our website.

FMAP (Medicaid) Funding in Jeopardy

Bringing you all up to date, Congress (specifically the Senate) has failed to act on passage of the "jobs" bill which contains among other things the extension of the enhanced FMAP from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011. This extension would have restored the cuts which are to be effective next week, July 1, 2010.

Last night, an amendment (see attachment-first 2-3 pages) was introduced to the bill which reduces its cost in an attempt to get enough votes to secure passage. In this amendment, the FMAP enhanced rate would be reduced from the current 6.2% to 3.2% (Jan -- March, 2011) and 1.2% (April -- June, 2011).

Please keep in mind that any of the planned reductions in eligibility that would in any way change the existing Medicaid program in each state cannot be used as a result of the passage of the national health care reform legislation.

Senate Finance Committee staff have indicated that a reduction in continued FMAP will trigger the discretionary authority granted the Governor during the reconvened session, meaning he can choose what restorations or additions (in the case of MR waivers and children's MH funding) to make to stay within the reduced FMAP amounts. While the modifications would have been minimal if we receive the full $417 anticipated, the changes will be substantive if we get much less than originally anticipated.

If the US Congress does not pass any continued FMAP, the Virginia budget will be further out of balance because some of the actions to balance it would mean changes in eligibility, no longer options. Just between having to lift the waiver freeze and inability to reduce FPL from 80% to 75%, will mean having to make up $3.7 M in the July I budget and $49M in the second year of this biennial budget, all independent of the provider rate reductions, which is the one item that is not prohibited in terms of states’ Medicaid programs.. That said, let’s hope that Congress will pass some version of continued FMAP to lessen the impact on Virginia’s budget.

The Governor has a number of options to use and we have little indication what may be done but we will keep you informed as we gather information.


Mary Ann Bergeron

Executive Director

Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB)

Medicaid Extension Still in Jeopardy—Contact Your Senators Today!

The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes bill (H.R. 4213) still lacks enough support to make it through the Senate. Today, it failed to garner the 60 votes needed. As a result, Senators are currently deciding how to pare down the cost of the bill. Urge your Senators to ensure that the extension of the increase in Medicaid funding for the states’ next fiscal year remains in the final bill.

Take Action HERE!

Impact of Health Reform on Mental Health Care

Like you, we are working to figure out how the passage of health reform will change the behavioral health system. The federal government and many states have begun implementation efforts, and we have developed a document (attached) outlining our vision for a modern behavioral health system, along with specific benefits that should be included in any essential benefit package. Feel free to use this document as you begin health reform implementation discussions in your states and communities.

Here are some resources we thought might be helpful to you:

• HHS Fact Sheet on the Temporary High Risk Pool Program (ATTACHED)
• Kaiser Family Foundation brief – “Financing New Medicaid Coverage Under Health Reform: The Role of the Federal Government and States”
  http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8072.pdf
• New York Times summary on the CLASS Act provision in the health reform law – “Parsing the New Law on Long-Term Care”
  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/health/policy/04land.html
• HHS Toolkit to Advance Enrollment and Retention Efforts in Children’s Health Insurance Programs
  http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/toolkit/toolkit.html#Section%202:%20Material%20Development%20and%20Dissemination
• Alliance for Health Reform briefing – “What’s in There? The New Health Reform Law and Medicare”
  http://www.allhealth.org/briefing_detail.asp?bi=184
• Alliance for Health Reform briefing – “What’s in There? The New Health Reform Law and Medicaid”
  http://www.allhealth.org/briefing_detail.asp?bi=182
• Alliance for Health Reform briefing – “What’s in There? The New Health Reform Law and Private Insurance”
  http://www.allhealth.org/briefing_detail.asp?bi=183

MHAV's QUEST program launches at newly renovated Tom Hale III Education Center