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NABH Insider

As of August 2026, CEO Update has been renamed NABH Insider

NABH Insider: August 18, 2026

State of Play Last week, NABH sent out letters to 42 states outlining the association’s recommendations for state-level implementation of the Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Interim Final Rule, which takes effect on January 1, 2027. In our letters, we urge state Governors and Medicaid Directors to make key implementation decisions that help ensure beneficiaries with behavioral […]

NABH Insider: August 11, 2026

Welcome to the first edition of NABH Insider, from the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare. The Insider is your weekly update on the latest behavioral healthcare policy developments, advocacy efforts, and association news.We’re excited to introduce this new format and look forward to connecting with you in your inbox every Tuesday. State of Play To […]

CEO Update | 284

NABH Responds to Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Interim Final Rule NABH submitted a comment letter today responding to CMS’ Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Interim Final Rule (IFR).The letter raised significant concerns about the IFR exceeding CMS’ statutory authority and misaligning with Congressional intent. It also warned that the policy could result in the disenrollment of individuals whose behavioral […]

CEO Update | 283

NABH Welcomes New VP of Communications The NABH team is thrilled to welcome Tanika Pradhan as our new Vice President of Communications. A seasoned strategic leader, Tanika brings nearly a decade of experience leading high-profile communications campaigns, with expertise in mental, behavioral, and community healthcare. She joins NABH from ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs […]

CEO Update | 282

NABH Joins Others in Comments on Proposed OMB Regulations NABH and other hospital-related associations on Monday sent a comment letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regarding a proposed rule overhauling 2 C.F.R. Part 200, the “uniform guidance” that governs the administration of all federal grants and cooperative agreements.OMB has proposed sweeping changes […]

CEO Update | 281

NABH Responds to HHS Request for Information on Behavioral Health NABH last week submitted a response to the HHS Request for Comment on Chronic Disease of Addiction, which solicited ideas on “research, policy, and strategies to improve the prevention, treatment, recovery of chronic disease of addiction and mental illness and how to promote the Great […]

CEO Update | 280

NABH Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Webinar Last Thursday, NABH hosted a webinar to discuss the new Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Interim Final Rule, with a focus on implications for beneficiaries with behavioral health conditions. The slides from the presentation can be accessed here. The recording of the webinar is now available, click here to access […]

CEO Update | 279

NABH Webinar on Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Interim Final Rule NABH held a webinar yesterday on the new Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement Interim Final Rule, providing an overview of key provisions in the interim final rule, including exclusions for people with behavioral health conditions. Thank you to all who attended the webinar. Click here to […]

CEO Update | 278

Upcoming NABH Webinar on Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements Interim Final Rule On Thursday, June 18 from 12-1 p.m. ET, NABH will host a webinar for members on the new Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements Interim Final Rule. We will provide an overview of key provisions in the interim final rule, including exclusions for people with behavioral […]

CEO Update | 277

NABH Submits FY27 IPF PPS Payment Rate and PAI Comments to CMS NABH this week submitted comprehensive comments and recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about the agency’s Fiscal Year 2027 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment Systems (IPF PPS) proposed rule, including the association’s serious concerns with the agency’s Patient Assessment […]

CEO Update | 276

Deadline to Submit Comments on the Proposed IPF Patient Assessment Instrument is Monday As part of its Fiscal Year 2027 Inpatient Facilities Prospective Payment System proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed an inpatient psychiatric facility patient assessment instrument (IPF-PAI) for required reporting that takes effect on Oct. 1, 2027.NABH has […]

CEO Update | 275

CMS Releases Medicaid State-Directed Payment Rule The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday released a proposed rule on state-directed payments (SDPs) that seeks to align Medicaid payments with Medicare.CMS’ proposal would cap SDPs at 100% of Medicare rates in states that expanded Medicaid and 110% in non-expansion states for rating periods beginning […]

CEO Update | 274

NABH Submits Statement to House Ways and Means Committee on PAI Quality Measure NABH this week submitted a statement for the record to the House Ways and Means Committee highlighting our serious concerns with the new patient assessment instrument (PAI) quality measure that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed in the Fiscal […]

CEO Update | 273

White House Releases 2026 National Drug Control Strategy The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy this week released its 2026 National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS) that describes the federal government’s approach to address the nation’s illicit drug crisis. The NDCS identified several action items related to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, including enhancing early intervention, promoting […]

CEO Update | 272

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Starting today, May 1, NABH is pleased to recognize and promote Mental Health Awareness Month, which the United States has observed since 1949.We will honor the month by posting a mental health-related fact or figure each day on X and Bluesky and weekly on LinkedIn. Please engage with us by sharing our information and […]

CEO Update | 271

We Want Your Feedback: Please Submit NABH’s Payor Experience Survey! Some NABH members have reported worsening experiences with treatment and claims approvals, and our Washington-based team wants to understand if this is a widespread problem. Please complete this brief survey to report changes you’ve seen between early 2025 and early 2026. To help us compare across facility […]

CEO Update | 270

A Message from NABH President and CEO Scott Dziengelski I’m grateful for the warm welcome our members and the NABH team have given me during my first week back at NABH. Thank you. It feels good to be back. Before returning to NABH this week, I thought a lot about the origins of NABH. In 1933, […]

CEO Update 269

MACPAC Calls for CMS to Develop Transparent Plan for Community Engagement Requirements The Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission (MACPAC) on Thursday released Implementing Community Engagement Requirements in Medicaid, a draft chapter and recommendation that identifies policy and operational considerations for states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as they implement Community […]

CEO Update 268

CMS Releases Fiscal Year 2027 Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule On Thursday, April 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposal to update Medicare payment policies and rates for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPF) under the IPF Prospective Payment System (PPS) (CMS-1847-P) for fiscal year (FY) 2027. The IPF […]

CEO Update 267

NABH Submits Statement on Illicit Drug Policies to House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee NABH this week submitted a statement to the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for the panel’s hearing, Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats. In our statement, NABH highlighted major concerns about H.R. 5629, the focus of the hearing, […]

CEO Update 266

Scott Dziengelski to Start as NABH’s Next President and CEO on Monday, April 13 NABH is pleased to announce Scott Dziengelski will begin serving as the association’s new president and chief executive officer on Monday, April 13.Dziengelski brings nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare policy, advocacy, and coalition-building to NABH. Currently he serves as […]

CEO Update 265

Access and Share NABH’s 2026 Annual Meeting Presentations & Photos! Following last week’s 2026 Annual Meeting, NABH posted presentations from General Session speakers Eric Boles of The Game Changers and Kimberly Brandt from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Author and blogger Neil Pasricha’s presentation is not available to post publicly, and NABH’s other General […]

February 27, 2026

CEO Update 264

2026 NABH Annual Meeting Starts Monday! We’re pleased to devote this week’s edition of CEO Update to details about the 2026 Annual Meeting that starts Monday, March 2 in Washington, D.C. This year’s meeting theme is Future-Forward Leadership and is meant to help NABH members and guests learn from speakers, breakout sessions, committee meetings, and other […]

February 20, 2026

CEO Update 263

Former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D. to Address Attendees at 2026 Annual Meeting NABH is pleased to welcome former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D. as our afternoon speaker on Day #2 of the 2026 NABH Annual Meeting. Holtz-Eakin has an esteemed record as a researcher and policy adviser, and he served as the sixth […]

February 13, 2026

CEO Update 262

Please View our 2026 Annual Meeting Program! The 2026 Annual Meeting – Future-Forward Leadership: Imagine. Innovate. Transform. – is in a little more than two weeks, and we are eager to share this year’s Annual Meeting program! Please join us on Day #1, Monday, March 2 to learn about effective leadership practices from former NFL wide […]

February 6, 2026

CEO Update 261

CNN Analyst Ron Brownstein to Headline 2026 Annual Meeting Luncheon NABH is pleased to welcome CNN analyst and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Ron Brownstein as our 2026 Annual Meeting Luncheon speaker during this election year.As a senior political analyst for CNN and opinion columnist, Brownstein produces sharp analysis on politics, policy, the electorate, media, healthcare, […]

January 30, 2026

CEO Update 260

2026 NABH Exhibitor and Sponsor Guide Ad Deadline is Today, Jan. 30! This is a reminder that all advertisements to be included in NABH’s 2026 NABH Exhibitor and Sponsor Guide are due today, Friday, Jan. 30. The Exhibitor and Sponsor Guide provides an opportunity to showcase your organization’s products and services, elevate your brand visibility, and […]

January 23, 2026

CEO Update 259

Learn from Former Walmart Leadership Director and Author Neil Pasricha at the 2026 Annual Meeting! NABH is pleased to welcome author and former Walmart leader Neil Pasricha to kick off Day 2 of the NABH 2026 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 3 at 10 a.m.Pasricha’s research and books on happiness, mindset, and human potential have […]

January 16, 2026

CEO Update 258

Explore NABH’s Opportunities to Highlight Your Organization in 2026 NABH is eager to feature your organization in conjunction with our 2026 Annual Meeting– Future-Forward Leadership: Imagine. Innovate. Transform. Please take a moment to review the options in our 2026 Exhibitor and Sponsor Opportunities and share this resource with anyone interested in building professional relationships, elevating brand […]

January 9, 2026

CEO Update 257

NABH Welcomes Jim Shaheen to Second Term as NABH Board Chair NABH is pleased to welcome NABH Board Chair Jim Shaheen, CEO of New Season, to his second year leading the association’s board of trustees. NABH members voted last month on the association’s 2026 slate of board candidates, and Jim graciously agreed to serve as board […]

December 19, 2025

CEO Update 256

Register Today for the 2026 Annual Meeting and Visit Our Annual Meeting Homepage! Registration opened this week for the 2026 NABH Annual Meeting, Future-Forward Leadership: Imagine. Innovate. Transform. at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC from March 2 – 4, 2026! Our team in Washington is excited about the 2026 Annual Meeting, and we will e-mail members information […]

December 12, 2025

CEO Update 255

NABH 2026 Board Election Ballots Due Wednesday, Dec. 31 NABH asks all system members to please elect new members to the 2026 Board of Trustees by the end of this month. On Dec. 9, the association e-mailed NABH system members an attachment with NABH Board of Trustees candidate profiles and a ballot to elect new members […]

December 5, 2025

CEO Update 254

2026 Annual Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance Now Available! This month NABH will open registration for our 2026 Annual Meeting, Future-Forward Leadership: Imagination. Innovation. Transformation, which will take place at The Ritz Carlton-Washington, DC from March 2-4, 2026. Before then, please take a moment to review our 2026 Annual Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance, which includes times for general sessions, committee […]

November 14, 2025

CEO Update 253

2026 NABH Annual Meeting Update: Engage in Future-forward Leadership! NABH is pleased to report the 2026 NABH Annual Meeting Program Committee has chosen Future-forward Leadership: Imagine. Innovate. Transform. as the theme of our next Annual Meeting at the Washington, DC-Ritz Carlton from March 2-4, 2026. Our thanks to 2026 Annual Meeting Program Chair Cindy Meyer, M.S.S.W. from Rogers […]

November 12, 2025

CEO Update 252

NABH Wants to Hear from You: Please Rank the 2026 Annual Meeting Breakout Session Topics! NABH is revising its Annual Meeting format in 2026 and will introduce Breakout Sessions to engage attendees during the meeting in between the General Sessions. Please take a moment to answer this one-question survey and rank the listed issue areas from your greatest priority […]

October 24, 2025

CEO Update 251

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Launches New Collection of Resources The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) recently launched The Upright, a collection of research, program, and policy resources that aim to advance health equity in suicide prevention. The resources are meant to support localities, organizations, and individuals wishing to develop suicide prevention strategies in underserved […]

October 24, 2025

CEO Update 250

Please Help Us Identify New NABH Board Members by Monday, Oct. 20 As the NABH Selection Committee prepares to consider possible nominees, please help us identify potential candidates for: ► Board Chair-Elect and ► One Board seat that will open in 2026The Selection Committee is interested particularly in identifying senior managers who represent the broad […]

October 10, 2025

CEO Update 249

Please Help Us Identify New NABH Board Members As the NABH Selection Committee prepares to consider possible nominees, please help us identify potential candidates for: ► Board Chair-Elect and ► One Board seat that will open in 2026 The Selection Committee is interested particularly in identifying senior managers who represent the broad diversity of NABH’s membership, […]

October 3, 2025

CEO Update 248

Shawn Coughlin Retires; Previous NABH President and CEO Mark Covall Named Interim Leader Shawn Coughlin retired as NABH’s president and CEO this week after nearly six years in the position. The NABH Executive Committee named Mark Covall as interim president and CEO as it engages an executive search firm to find Coughlin’s successor. Coughlin served previously […]

September 26, 2025

CEO Update 247

Reminder: Please Submit Your System’s Information for the NABH 2025 Membership Directory Updates by Next Friday, Oct. 3 NABH is compiling information for its 2025 Membership Directory, which we will publish online only. To help ensure we have the most accurate member information, please use the link to our membership update tool that NABH sent […]

September 19, 2025

CEO Update 246

House Passes Short-Term Funding Bill The House passed a continuing resolution on Friday to fund the federal government through Nov. 21, which would give Congress more time to develop a full-year funding package. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to pass, necessitating some Democratic votes in support. Congress must pass […]

September 12, 2025

CEO Update 245

Congress Faces Host of Decisions as Federal Funding Deadline Looms Congress returned from its August recess last week to a fall agenda that requires lawmakers todecide on how it will fund the federal government and extend critical healthcare programs. The House has 10 legislative days, and the Senate has 12 legislative days to determine how to […]

September 5, 2025

CEO Update 244

NABH and Partners Push Federal Lawmakers to Address Medicaid DSH Cuts NABH and its partner associations representing America’s hospitals and health systems on Sept. 5 sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to address impending Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program reductions. The letter reminds House and Senate leaders: “If Congress does not act, hospitals […]

August 29, 2025

CEO Update 243

NABH Welcomes Sarah Steverman, Ph.D., M.S.W. as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and Compliance This week NABH welcomed Sarah M. Steverman, Ph.D., M.S.W. as the association’s new vice president of regulatory affairs, quality, and compliance. Sarah comes to NABH from HHS’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), where she supported behavioral […]

August 22, 2025

CEO Update 242

New JAMA Study Shows ED Boarding is a ‘Considerable Issue’ for Medicaid-Enrolled Youth A new study published in JAMA shows that emergency department (ED) boarding is a “considerable issue” for Medicaid-enrolled youth, with more than one in 10 mental health-related ED visits lasting more than two days. The findings also showed that in five states, […]

August 15, 2025

CEO Update 241

Manhattan Institute Publishes Report on Psychiatric Hospitals and the IMD Exclusion The Manhattan Institute released a report yesterday assessing the current landscape of freestanding psychiatric hospitals amidst Medicaid’s Institution for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion and identifying opportunities for policy reform, including repeal of the exclusion. NABH provided information to the author to inform the report’s content, […]

CEO Update 240

RFK Jr. Says HHS Will Move Forward with HHS Reorganization The publication Inside Health Policy this week reported that U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said HHS will move forward with its plan to reorganize its agencies even though Senate appropriators omitted the proposed reorganization from the Senate Appropriations […]

CEO Update 239

Congress Advances Legislation for Veterans’ Healthcare Services Congress this week continued to focus on the Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Network by advancing several Community Care-focused bills and the Senate FY 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to increase funding levels for the Community Care Network. Both the House and Senate committees […]

CEO Update 238

Reps. Tonko & Huizenga Introduce Legislation to Remove Medicare’s 190-day Lifetime Limit Reps. Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) this week reintroduced H.R. 4619, the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act, bipartisan legislation that would repeal permanently the Medicare program’s 190-day lifetime limit for inpatient psychiatric care. Despite the enactment of the landmark Paul Wellstone and […]

CEO Update 237

CMS Releases CY 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday, July 15 released its Calendar Year 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule along with an accompanying fact sheet.In it, CMS proposed to increase payment rates by 2.4%, reflecting an inpatient market basket increase of 3.2% […]

CEO Update 235

Senate Faces Additional Obstacles to Passing its Reconciliation Bill The pathway for the Senate to pass its budget reconciliation bill became more precarious this week, following increased opposition to Medicaid cuts by a growing number of senators and the Senate parliamentarian’s determinations that several key provisions violate the Byrd rule, meaning they require 60 votes […]

CEO Update 234

Senate Finance Committee’s Budget Reconciliation Bill Includes Unsustainable Medicaid Cuts The Senate Finance Committee’s recently passed budget reconciliation package includes significant and burdensome changes to the House-passed budget reconciliation bill and contains unsustainable cuts to Medicaid programs for behavioral healthcare providers.Notable Medicaid program changes include restricting provider taxes, reducing state-directed payments, mandating work requirements that […]

CEO Update 233

NABH Submits FY 2026 IPF PPS Proposed Rule Comments to CMS NABH on Tuesday submitted comments about the fiscal year 2026 inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system (IPF PPS) proposed rule, which includes several payment and quality reporting changes (for more information about the proposed rule, check out our NABH Analysis). NABH’s comments included a recommendation […]

CEO Update 232

House Passes SUPPORT Act; Legislation Moves to Senate for Consideration The House on Wednesday passed H.R. 2483, the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act) in a 366-57 vote to reauthorize bipartisan legislation that would prevent and treat illicit opioid use. Thirty Democrats – many of […]

CEO Update 231

NABH Sends Comments to DOJ About Anticompetitive Regulations NABH this week sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi suggesting opportunities toto remove, modify, or clarify applying burdensome regulatory requirements that impede behavioral healthcare services to millions of Americans with mental and substance use disorders. The letter covered a variety of topics, including Medicare requirements […]

CEO Update 230

House Passes Reconciliation Bill That Includes Significant Medicaid Changes The House early Thursday passed President Trump’s sweeping budget reconciliation bill in a 215-214 vote after the House Rules Committee passed a 42-page amendment to the legislation. Notably, the bill includes several significant restrictions on Medicaid eligibility and financing. The Senate will now consider the legislation and […]

CEO Update 229

2025 NABH Annual Meeting Starts Monday! We’re pleased to devote this week’s edition of CEO Update to details about the 2025 Annual Meeting that starts Monday, May 12 in Washington, D.C. This year’s Annual Meeting focuses on Behavioral Health is Everyone’s Concern: Constant Care, Changing Times, and our presenters will explore the federal government’s behavioral health […]

CEO Update 228

House Energy & Commerce Committee Expected to Start FY 2026 Budget Bill Mark-Up on May 12 Continuing – and contentious – negotiations have caused the House Energy and Commerce Committee to postpone its planned markup of the fiscal year (FY) 2026 reconciliation package to Monday, May 12. The Energy & Commerce Committee is considering multiple, significant […]

CEO Update 227

The NABH Annual Meeting Hotel Reservation Cutoff Date is Today, Friday, April 25! The Salamander Washington, DC cut-off date to reserve a room for our Annual Meeting is today, Friday, April 25. This year NABH will welcome presenters who will discuss what you need to know about: the strides states are making in behavioral healthcare; the […]

CEO Update 226

Energy & Commerce Committee Schedules Reconciliation Bill Markup for May 7 The House Energy and Commerce Committee has targeted May 7 for a markup of its portion of the Republican reconciliation bill to fund federal operations. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee, is instructed to find $880 billion in savings […]

CEO Update 225

House Passes Budget Resolution, Clearing Path for Future Reconciliation Bill House lawmakers on Thursday narrowly passed the Senate-amended budget resolution, clearing the way for a future reconciliation bill that would extend the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 that sunsets at the end of 2025, create some new tax cuts, and reduce the deficit. The […]

CEO Update 224

Trump Administration Releases Drug Policy Priorities The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy this week released the Trump administration’s Statement of Drug Policy Priorities, which the administration said “will evolve to keep pace with the changing landscape of illicit drug trafficking and ensure that our borders, communities, and schools are secure from the […]

CEO Update 223

Trump Administration Revokes Billions in Healthcare Program Funding & Announces HHS Restructuring HHS has discontinued more than $11 billion in pandemic-era funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) programs and about $1 billion for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) grants, news outlets reported this week. “The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and […]

CEO Update 222

NABH Sends Telemedicine Proposed Rule Comments to DEA NABH this week sent a letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) opposing various components of DEA’s proposed rule, Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations, pertaining to clinical practitioners. “In particular, we are concerned that several requirements misalign with medical practice and would ultimately […]

CEO Update 221

House and Senate Consider Stopgap Funding Bill to Avert Government Shutdown The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a seven-month funding patch aimed at averting a government shutdown by Friday night, March 14. The stopgap Continuing Resolution (CR) would fund government operations through the remainder of this fiscal year while slashing non-defense funding by roughly $13 […]

CEO Update 220

NABH Recommends a Distinct Cybersecurity Proposal for Behavioral Healthcare NABH submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on a proposed rule to strengthen cybersecurity for protected health information. Our comments express strong caution that the proposed rule does not account for the limited health information technology (HIT) […]

CEO Update 219

House Passes Multitrillion-Dollar Budget Bill The House on Tuesday narrowly passed its multitrillion-dollar budget resolution in a near party-line vote of 217-215, a key step toward advancing President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy agenda. The Senate passed a competing plan last week, and the Republicans in the two chambers must now reconcile the significant differences between the […]

February 21, 2025

CEO Update 218

NABH Releases Quality Resources on Patient and Staff Health & Safety NABH has developed two quality-related resources to help members learn from their peers and inform policymakers, regulators, and the media about the innovative ways our members are working to protect their patients and staff. Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals and Units Implement Effective Violence-Prevention Measures highlights in […]

February 18, 2025

CEO Update 217

NABH Releases 2025 Advocacy Priorities! NABH is pleased to share its 2025 Advocacy Priorities, which we urge you to read and share with your Government Relations teams and others. Leading NABH’s 2025 Advocacy Priorities are parity, workforce, behavioral healthcare information technology, America’s ongoing addiction crisis, and the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion. “Demand for our services […]

February 11, 2025

CEO Update 216

Senate Finance Committee Advances RFK, Jr.’s Nomination for HHS Secretary The Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 4 advanced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to serve as secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS). President Donald Trump named Kennedy to lead HHS after Kennedy dropped his own presidential bid and endorsed Trump. Since then, […]

January 31, 2025

CEO Update 215

Senate Committees Hold Hearings for HHS Secretary Nominee The Senate Finance Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services. On issues related to behavioral health, Kennedy indicated a willingness to work with […]

January 24, 2025

CEO Update 214

Second Trump Administration Health Policy Priorities Start to Take Shape The newly installed Trump administration’s health policy priorities and the senior officials designated with implementing them are coming into focus. Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is making the rounds with senators before his confirmation process to lead HHS. Kennedy’s first nomination hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, […]

January 17, 2025

CEO Update 213

HHS and DEA Partially Extend COVID-19-Era Telehealth Flexibilities HHS and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Wednesday proceeded with rulemaking to partially extend COVID-19 pandemic-era flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth without ever having conducted an in-person medical evaluation. The federal agencies introduced a final rule focused on buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD), […]

January 10, 2025

CEO Update 212

NABH Welcomes Jim Shaheen as 2025 Board Chair NABH is pleased to welcome New Season CEO Jim Shaheen as chair of the NABH Board of Trustees for 2025. A longtime NABH member, Jim has served NABH in many capacities, including currently as vice president of the NABH Education and Research Foundation and member of the Addiction […]

December 20, 2024

CEO Update 211

NABH Launches ‘Safe Connections’ to Promote Awareness About Youth Mental Health NABH on Thursday launched Safe Connections, a campaign intended to educate policymakers, parents, and the public about the effects of social media on our nation’s youth and to provide tools and resources to help keep kids safe online. The NABH Youth Services Committee, under the […]

December 20, 2024

CEO Update 210

NABH Welcomes Dan Schwartz as New Director of Quality and Addiction Services NABH is pleased to welcome Dan Schwartz as the association’s new director of quality and addiction services, effective this past Monday, Dec 9. Dan brings to NABH a range of experiences in federal agencies related to addiction services, including most recently in his role as a […]

December 6, 2024

CEO Update 209

NABH Expresses Serious Concerns About MOTAA in Letter to House and Senate Leaders NABH this week sent a letter to House and Senate leaders that reinforced the association’s concerns that the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) [S. 644/ H.R. 1359] is a misguided attempt to deregulate opioid treatment programs (OTPs), the effective standard of […]

November 22, 2024

CEO Update 208

DEA Extends Authority for Telehealth Prescribing Without an In-person Visit a Third Time The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and HHS this week again temporarily extended the existing telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications through Dec. 31, 2025.This latest extension allows prescribing practitioners to prescribe controlled medications without first conducting an in-person evaluation of the patient. This […]

November 15, 2024

CEO Update 207

SAMHSA Announces Behavioral Health Workforce Career Navigator The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration this week launched theBehavioral Health Workforce Career Navigator to help current and aspiring behavioral health professionals identify state requirements for a range of behavioral health careers. “We need a behavioral health workforce that can meet our country’s needs. That includes helping […]

November 8, 2024

CEO Update 206

Republican Wins Bring Changes to White House and Congress; Leadership Posts Pending Former President Donald Trump’s re-election to office on Nov. 5 also led a strong Republican wave in both chambers of Congress, with Republicans winning control of the Senate and likely retaining a small majority in the House of Representatives. Either party needs 218 seats […]

November 1, 2024

CEO Update 205

Please Visit Our New Website! NABH is pleased to announce our new website is now live! NABH has designed our updated site to help members, policymakers, journalists, patient advocates, and the general public learn about our association and the resources we provide in a way that is easier to navigate so you find what you’re looking for […]

October 18, 2024

CEO Update 204

2025 NABH Board Nominations Are Due Monday, Oct. 21! NABH’s Selection Committee needs your help as it considers possible nominees to serve on the NABH Board of Trustees in 2025. Please help us identify potential candidates for: The Selection Committee is particularly interested in identifying senior managers who represent the broad diversity within the NABH membership, […]

October 4, 2024

CEO Update 203

Reminder: NABH’s Second AI Survey Deadline is Due Monday! NABH continues to explore how our members use Artificial Intelligence (AI), and our AI survey earlier this year identified Care Quality, Business Operations, and Workforce Solutions as our members’ priority areas. As follow-up to our first survey, we ask you to complete this brief follow-up survey to help us delve […]

September 27, 2024

CEO Update 202

Please Submit Your Updated Member Information Today, Friday Sept. 27! NABH is developing its online-only 2024 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. Last month NABH e-mailed system members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our members, […]

September 20, 2024

CEO Update 201

Deadline Extended: Please Submit Updated Member Information by Friday, Sept. 27! NABH is developing its online-only 2024 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. Last month NABH e-mailed system members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our […]

September 13, 2024

CEO Update 200

Deadline Extended: Please Submit Updated Member Information by Friday, Sept. 27! NABH is developing its online-only 2024 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. Last month NABH e-mailed system members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our […]

September 6, 2024

CEO Update 199

Reminder: Please Submit Updated Member Information by Next Friday, Sept. 13! NABH is developing its online-only 2024 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. Last month NABH e-mailed system members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our […]

August 23, 2024

CEO Update 198

Reminder: Please Update Your Member Information for the 2024 NABH Membership Directory! NABH is developing its online-only 2024 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. NABH has e-mailed system members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our […]

August 16, 2024

CEO Update 197

Please Update Your Member Information for the 2024 NABH Membership Directory! NABH is developing its online-only 2024 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. This week NABH e-mailed system members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our […]

CEO Update 196

Contingency Management Battles Ongoing Headwinds Earlier this week, a STAT news article reviewed the executive branch’s response to advocacy efforts to expand financing for the only evidence-based treatment for stimulant use disorder, contingency management (CM.) CM provides financial rewards for abstinence from stimulants and has decades of research demonstrating that intervention changes the reward centers of the […]

CEO Update 195

CMS Finalizes 2.5% IPF Payment Increase and Payment System Reforms The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) fiscal year (FY) 2025 final rule on the inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system (IPF PPS) implements a net increase of 2.5 percentage points. The overall update of $65 million, compared with FY 2024 payment levels, represents a slight decrease […]

CEO Update 194

House Passes Bill to Reauthorize Child Welfare Programs Included RTF Provision The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday passed unanimously H.R. 9076, the Bipartisan Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act, to reauthorize and reform the nation’s child welfare programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. Authorization for these programs expired in fiscal year […]

CEO Update 193

FDA & FTC Issue Warnings to Crack Down on Illegal Sales of Food Products with Delta-8 THC The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission this week issued warnings to five companies to crack down on illegal sales of food products containing delta-8 THC. The products’ packaging resemble familiar snacks and candies, potentially leading […]

CEO Update 192

FDA Releases Guidance on Constructing Effective Clinical Trials for Devices The FDA on Thursday issued guidance about constructing effective clinical trials to develop medical devices that treat patients who misuse opioids. The new guidance is intended to improve both the design and development of clinical studies to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness for a […]

CEO Update 191

House Ways and Means Committee Hearing Examines U.S. Child Welfare System and RTFs The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday held a hearing about strengthening America’s child welfare system and protecting America’s children through reauthorizing Title IV-B, a child and youth foster-care program. Although committee members focused primarily on improving the nation’s child foster care system, they […]

CEO Update 190

House Ways & Means Committee to Host Hearing Next Week on Strengthening Child Welfare The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to conduct a hearing next Wednesday, June 26 focused on strengthening child welfare by reauthorizing Title IV-B, a program serving children and youth in foster care. Policymakers are expected to review youth Residential Treatment Facilities (RTFs) […]

CEO Update 189

Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing and Releases Report on Youth RTFs In conjunction with a hearing Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee released Warehouse of Neglect: How Taxpayers Are Funding Systemic Abuse in Youth Residential Treatment Facilities, a partisan report that cites limitations and problems at youth RTFs and fails to recognize the critical care, treatment, and […]

CEO Update 188

Senate Democrats Pressure Biden Administration to Complete Final Parity Rule A group of Senate Democrats is pressuring the Biden administration to complete and release its final rule on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act’s requirements. In a letter to the leaders of HHS, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Labor Department’s Employee Benefits and Security Administration, […]

CEO Update 187

NABH Comments on Fiscal Year 2025 IPF PPS Final Rule This week NABH sent its public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about the agency’s fiscal year 2025 inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system (IPF PPS) rule. In the letter, NABH emphasized that the proposed net update for FY 2025 – an […]

CEO Update 186

2024 NABH Annual Meeting & Hill Day Highlights NABH thanks all who traveled to Washington last week for the 2024 Annual Meeting! Photos from the meeting are now available. If you choose to use any of these pictures, please credit photographer Chris Ferenzi. Last week NABH shared the Annual Meeting slide presentations and learned some attendees […]

CEO Update 185

2024 NABH Annual Meeting Starts Monday! We’re pleased to devote this week’s edition of CEO Update to details about the 2024 Annual Meeting that starts Monday, May 13 in Washington, D.C. This year’s Annual Meeting focuses on The Future of Behavioral Healthcare, and our presenters will explore this theme as it relates to behavioral health information technology, parity, […]

CEO Update: 184

DOL Official Timothy Hauser to Headline NABH Annual Meeting Day #2 NABH is pleased to announce Timothy D. Hauser, deputy assistant secretary for program operations at the U.S. Labor Department’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), will kick off our Annual Meeting’s second day on Tuesday, May 14 at 10 a.m. Hauser, who serves as […]

CEO Update 183

Please Help Us Welcome Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT Steven Posnack on May 13! NABH is pleased to welcome Deputy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Steven Posnack, M.S., M.H.S., as our first 2024 Annual Meeting presenter on Monday, May 13 at 2:45 p.m. ET in the Salamander hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Posnack advises the […]

CEO Update 182

RTI Study Shows Pervasive Disparities in Access to In-Network Behavioral Healthcare A report this week from not-for-profit research institute RTI International adds to mounting research showing a lack of access to affordable mental health and substance use disorder treatment in the United States continues. NABH helped sponsor the study, Behavioral Health Parity—Pervasive Disparities in Access […]

CEO Update: 181

NABH Remembers Unit Committee Member Anthony Santucci, M.S. NABH remembers with grateful appreciation Anthony Santucci, M.S., 50, of BayCare Behavioral Health, who died unexpectedly on March 25. Anthony served as BayCare’s director of nursing for 13 years and was an active and energetic member of NABH’s Behavioral Health Services within General Healthcare Systems Committee – […]

CEO Update 180

Please Join Us for Our Annual Meeting Workforce Panel on Tuesday, May 14! Building on last year’s success, the NABH Education and Research Foundation will host a panel discussion featuring NABH members and workforce consultants during the 2024 Annual Meeting on Monday, May 13 from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET. This year’s panel will […]

CEO Update 179

CMS Proposes IPF PPS Reforms and FY 2025 Increase of 2.6% The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday proposed a net update of 2.6 percentage points for fiscal year (FY) 2025 payment levels relative to FY 2024 levels for hospitals and units reimbursed under the inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system (IPF […]

CEO Update 178

Congress Moves to Approve Final Spending Bill Before Government Shutdown Deadline Congressional appropriators on Thursday unveiled legislative text for the final spending package for fiscal year 2024. The House will vote first on this six-bill “minibus,” which contains the appropriations bills for Labor-HHS-Education, Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, State-Foreign Operations, and Legislative […]

CEO Update 177

HHS Needs Your Feedback to Help Develop a Behavioral Healthcare Data Set Through March 29, HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) – the federal agency that standardizes information technology requirements for healthcare providers – is collecting information about specific data elements to include in a new behavioral healthcare data set. NABH encourages you to […]

CEO Update 176

NABH Supported Behavioral Healthcare Riders in Funding Package Passes House and Awaits Senate Passage House and Senate Leadership agreed to a six-bill spending package with a March 9 deadline that contains a narrow list of health measures, including several important NABH priorities. The agreement set up a Wednesday vote in the House, which passed the […]

CEO Update 175

Now Available: NABH 2024 Advocacy Priorities! NABH is pleased to share its 2024 Advocacy Priorities, which we urge you to read and share with your Government Relations teams. Topping NABH’s priorities this year are parity, workforce, behavioral healthcare information technology, America’s ongoing addiction crisis, and the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion. “NABH’s 2024 advocacy […]

February 28, 2024

CEO Update 174

DOL Includes Mental Health in $200 Million Grant Announcement for Registered Apprenticeships The U.S. Labor Department this week announced nearly $200 million in grants to support public-private partnerships that expand, diversify, and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships and included mental health occupations under the “care economy” sector that is eligible to apply. The funding opportunity includes $95 […]

February 27, 2024

CEO Update: 173

NABH Remembers Youth Services Committee Member Mike Lyons, M.S. NABH remembers with grateful appreciation Mike Lyons, M.S., 54, who died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm on Sunday, Feb. 11. Mike served as vice president of specialty education for Universal Health Services’ (UHS) Behavioral Health Division, where he was responsible for implementing UHS’ Best in Class […]

February 9, 2024

CEO Update 172

Now Open: 2024 NABH Annual Meeting Registration! Registration is now open for the 2024 NABH Annual Meeting, The Future of Behavioral Healthcare. Please join us at the Salamander Washington, DC from May 13-15, 2024 for this year’s Annual Meeting to examine and discuss critical issues that behavioral healthcare providers manage today and will continue to […]

February 2, 2024

CEO Update 171

NABH Alert: SAMHSA Updates OTP Regulations The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder late yesterday for public inspection. The final rule was published earlier today and becomes effective on April 2, 2024, with compliance by October 2, 2024. [Please note that this is a correction of the compliance date […]

January 26, 2024

CEO Update 170

CMS $50 Million in Grants for School-Based Health Services, Particularly for Mental Health The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week announced $50 million in state grant funding to connect millions more children to critical healthcare services, especially mental health, in schools. The funding comes through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and will […]

January 19, 2024

CEO Update 169

NABH Education and Research Foundation to Kick Off Webinar Series Next Week The NABH Education and Research Foundation is pleased to host its first webinar, Redesigning the Present and Future of Behavioral Healthcare, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. ET. Foundation President Donald Parker, who serves as president of Behavioral […]

January 12, 2024

CEO Update 168

Congress Returns to Urgent Funding Deadlines and Full 2024 Agenda Congress returned to Washington this week facing two deadlines to fund all federal government operations as it works to clear some policy priorities – including a healthcare package with the SUPPORT Act’s reauthorization – ahead of the 2024 campaign season. In early January, House Speaker […]

January 5, 2024

CEO Update 167

NABH Welcomes Frank Ghinassi, Ph.D. as 2024 Board Chair NABH is pleased to welcome Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC) President and CEO Frank Ghinassi, Ph.D. as chair of the NABH Board of Trustees for 2024. A longstanding NABH member, Frank has served the association in many capacities, including as board treasurer, Quality Committee chair, […]

December 22, 2023

CEO Update 166

NABH Education and Research Foundation to Host Workforce Webinar in January The NABH Education and Research Foundation is pleased to host its first webinar, Redesigning the Present and Future of Behavioral Healthcare, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. ET. Foundation President Donald Parker, who serves as president of Behavioral Health […]

December 15, 2023

CEO Update 165

House & Senate Advance Key Behavioral Healthcare Legislation to Consider in the New Year The House and Senate advanced several behavioral healthcare-related bills this week that NABH either supports and opposes and Congress is expected to consider early in the New Year. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee marked up several […]

December 8, 2023

CEO Update 164

Senate HELP Committee to Mark Up SUPPORT Act Reauthorization Bill Next Week The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is slated to mark up the Substance-Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment Act’s (SUPPORT Act) reauthorization bill along with other legislation – including the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) – […]

December 1, 2023

CEO Update 163

Please Urge Your Senators to Reauthorize the SUPPORT Act and Oppose MOTAA As Congress returned this week for its year-end push, NABH continues to advocate for federal lawmakers to reauthorize the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT) and oppose the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA). […]

November 17, 2023

CEO Update 162

SAMHSA Releases 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Among U.S. adults aged 18 or older in 2022, 23.1%, or 59.3 million people, had any mental illness in the past year while 48.7 million people aged 12 or older, or 17.3%, had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, according to the […]

November 9, 2023

CEO Update 161

Senate Finance Committee Advances ‘Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs and Extenders Act’ The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday advanced the bipartisan Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs and Extenders Act in a unanimous vote. The healthcare package partially mitigates Medicare payment cuts for physicians, extends certain expiring Medicare and Medicaid provisions, targets pharmacy benefit […]

October 27, 2023

CEO Update 160

White House Asks Congress for $1.55 Billion to Address Nation’s Fentanyl Crisis The Biden administration this week requested $1.55 billion from Congress for HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) State Opioid Response grants to provide treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services in all states and territories to combat the nation’s ongoing […]

October 24, 2023

CEO Update 159

Reminder: NABH Board Nominations Due Today, Friday, Oct. 20! NABH is seeking help from members as the NABH Selection Committee prepares to consider possible nominees to serve on the NABH Board of Trustees. Specifically, NABH requests that members help the association identify: ► Board Chair-Elect and ► Four Board seats that will become available […]

October 13, 2023

CEO Update 158

FDA Creates Advisory Committee to Examine Digital Health Technologies The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced it has created a Digital Health Advisory Committee to help the agency explore the scientific and technical issues related to digital health technologies (DHTs), such as artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), augmented reality, virtual reality, digital therapeutics, […]

October 6, 2023

CEO Update 157

DEA Extends Pandemic Telemedicine Rules Through December 2024 The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Friday said it will extend its eased, COVID-19 pandemic rules for prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine through Dec. 31, 2024. This is DEA’s second extension of these rules; the agency first extended its pandemic-era, telehealth regulations in May 2023, which are […]

September 29, 2023

CEO Update 156

HHS Releases Contingency Plan as Federal Government Shutdown Looms HHS this week released a government shutdown contingency plan if federal lawmakers don’t pass legislation by Saturday, Sept. 30 to extend government funding and maintain federal operations. If they don’t, critical federal services will end at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. The ongoing government funding talks have […]

September 22, 2023

CEO Update 155

White House Recovery Summit Seeks to Create a ‘Recovery-Ready Nation’ As part of Recovery Month, the White House this week held a Recovery Summit to celebrate people with substance use disorders (SUD) who are in treatment and to discuss ways that Americans can build a recovery-ready nation. The Office of National Drug Control Policy […]

September 15, 2023

CEO Update 154

NABH Comments on 2024 OPPS and Physician Payment Proposed Rules This week NABH submitted a comment letter to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about the agency’s proposed rules pertaining to both the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and physician fee schedule (PFS) for 2024. Outpatient PPS Proposed Rule. Among the rule’s multiple […]

September 8, 2023

CEO Update 153

CMS Announces AHEAD Model to Improve Overall Health of State Population The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Thursday unveiled its States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) model to better address chronic disease, behavioral health, and other medical conditions among state populations. CMS said the new approach is intended to help […]

September 1, 2023

CEO Update 152

Biden Highlights Parity in National Recovery Month Proclamation Today kicks off National Recovery Month, a nationwide observance every September since 1989 to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible. In his proclamation on […]

August 25, 2023

CEO Update 151

Please Update Your Member Information for the 2023 NABH Membership Directory! NABH is developing its online-only 2023 Membership Directory, an essential member benefit that helps the association in its advocacy efforts. Earlier this week NABH sent members a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most accurate information on our […]

August 11, 2023

CEO Update 150

Federal Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Behavioral Health IT Legislation Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) recently introduced the Behavioral Health Information Technology (BHIT) Coordination Act to improve coordination of mental and physical healthcare by supporting behavioral healthcare providers’ efforts to adopt health IT systems. […]

CEO Update 149

CMS Releases FY 2024 IPF PPS Final Rule The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) final rule. NABH’s Position While the final rule includes many NABH priorities, we remain concerned that it does not go far enough […]

CEO Update 148

House Energy and Commerce Committee Passes SUPPORT Act Reauthorization Bill The House Energy and Commerce Committee this week voted unanimously to pass the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (SUPPORT), which would renew programs from the 2018 law that would otherwise expire at the end of September. “Today’s SUPPORT Act reauthorization includes a […]

CEO Update 147

CMS Proposes to Expand Behavioral Healthcare Access in 2024 OPPS Rule The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday proposed expanding access to behavioral healthcare services through coverage of intensive outpatient services. Currently, Medicare covers and pays for various behavioral healthcare services, including inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, partial hospitalizations services, and outpatient therapeutic […]

CEO Update 146

Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal Now Open for Period 5 The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced that the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is now open for Reporting Period 5. Recipients who received one or more General Distribution, Targeted Distribution, or ARP Rural Distribution payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, from […]

CEO Update 145

MedPAC Report to Congress Analyzes Behavioral Health Services and Patients In its annual report to Congress last week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) examined behavioral health services covered under Medicare’s inpatient and outpatient prospective payments systems and physician fee schedule. The 76-page report’s behavioral health chapter addresses Medicare beneficiaries’ service utilization patterns, Medicare spending […]

CEO Update 144

2023 NABH Annual Meeting Presentations Now Available Earlier this week NABH posted all 2023 Annual Meeting presentations for which the association has received permission to share publicly. Please remember to save the date for next year’s Annual Meeting: May 13-15, 2024 at the Salamander Washington, DC. We look forward to seeing you then! We Want […]

CEO Update 143

2023 NABH Annual Meeting Starts Monday! We’re pleased to devote this week’s edition of CEO Update to details about the 2023 Annual Meeting that starts on Monday, June 12 in Washington, D.C. This year’s Annual Meeting celebrates two important milestones for NABH: the association’s 90th anniversary and the 15th anniversary of the Mental Health Parity […]

CEO Update 142

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy to Address Attendees at Annual Meeting Policy Breakfast NABH is pleased to announce U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) will address attendees at the 2023 Annual Meeting policy breakfast on Wednesday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m. ET. Sen. Murphy serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions […]

CEO Update 142

NABH 2023 Annual Meeting is Approaching: Be Sure You’re Registered! NABH’s 2023 Annual Meeting—Securing the Promise of Parity—is a little more than two weeks away! Please review our online preliminary program, learn about this year’s speakers, view the list of exhibitors and sponsors, register for the meeting, and reserve your hotel room, if you haven’t […]

CEO Update 141

Please Meet with NABH’s Exhibitors and Sponsors at the 2023 Annual Meeting Next Month! NABH appreciates the generous support of our exhibitors and sponsors, whose valuable products and services help NABH members deliver quality behavioral healthcare every day to those who need it! Please make time to visit our exhibitors and sponsors at the Annual […]

CEO Update 140

NABH to Host Parity Panel with DOL Official Lisa Gomez and Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy on Tuesday, June 13 NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin will moderate a parity panel discussion with Lisa Gomez, assistant secretary for employee benefits security at the U.S. Labor Department, and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.). on Tuesday, […]

CEO Update 139

Hill Day Returns to NABH Annual Meeting Program! NABH is excited to welcome its members and guests back to Hill Day during the 2023 Annual Meeting! This year NABH is working with the firm Advocacy Associates to help schedule Capitol Hill meetings and briefings for interested Annual Meeting attendees during Hill Day on Tuesday, June […]

CEO Update 138

NABH Pleased to Welcome HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra at 2023 Annual Meeting U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, J.D. will address attendees at the 2023 NABH Annual Meeting on Monday, June 12 from 2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Secretary Becerra is the 25th secretary of HHS and the first Latino in […]

CEO Update 137

Former DOL Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch to Kick Off 2023 Annual Meeting NABH is pleased to announce John Pallasch, former Senate-confirmed assistant secretary for employment and training at the U.S. Labor Department (DOL), will kick off the association’s 2023 Annual Meeting with his presentation on Monday, June 12 at the Salamander […]

CEO Update 135

CMS Proposes 3% Increase in Payment Rates to Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities for 2024 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to update Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) payment rates by 1.9% in fiscal year (FY) 2024, or $55 million, relative to current rates. This update includes a 3.2% market […]

CEO Update 134

NABH Releases 2023 Advocacy Priorities NABH this week released its 2023 advocacy priorities, which reflect the association’s mission and outline the actions NABH will take to achieve its goals. Categorized under the headings “Mental Health” and “The Addiction Crisis,” NABH’s 2023 advocacy priorities include securing the promise of parity; persuading lawmakers to provide incentives for […]

CEO Update 133

NABH Responds to Senate HELP Committee RFI About U.S. Healthcare Workforce Shortage NABH thanks its many members who submitted comments detailing their workforce challenges and potential solutions, which helped form the association’s response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee’s request for information earlier this week. In its six-page letter, NABH noted […]

CEO Update 132

NABH Remembers Former Board Member Frank Fortunati, Jr., J.D., M.D. NABH remembers with grateful appreciation Frank Fortunati, Jr., J.D., M.D., 58, who died March 5 after a protracted, courageous battle against prostate cancer. A psychiatrist, attorney, and pharmacist, Fortunati had served as assistant professor of psychiatry and deputy chair for Yale-New Haven Health System. Since […]

CEO Update 131

President Biden’s FY 2024 Budget Proposal Includes Strong Focus on Behavioral Healthcare Needs Yesterday, President Biden issued his Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal, which now goes to Congress for consideration. Key provisions include: Elimination of the 190-day Lifetime Limit on Psychiatric Hospital Services. The proposed budget would rescind the current law limiting Medicare enrollees […]

CEO Update 130

Registration is Open for the 2023 NABH Annual Meeting: Securing the Promise of Parity! Please join us in Washington, DC from June 12-14, 2023 for this year’s NABH Annual Meeting at the Salamander Washington, DC (formerly the Mandarin Oriental hotel). NABH’s theme this year is Securing the Promise of Parity, which recognizes the Mental Health […]

February 24, 2023

CEO Update 129

Registration is Open for the 2023 NABH Annual Meeting: Securing the Promise of Parity! Please plan to join us in Washington, DC from June 12-14, 2023 for this year’s NABH Annual Meeting at the Salamander Washington, DC (formerly the Mandarin Oriental hotel). NABH’s theme this year is Securing the Promise of Parity, which recognizes the […]

February 17, 2023

CEO Update 128

FDA Advisors Recommend Over-the-Counter Use of Narcan A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel this week voted 19-0 to recommend the agency approve the anti-opioid overdose drug Narcan be made available as an over-the-counter drug. Narcan is currently available by prescription only, and the change would make it the first opioid overdose reversal […]

February 10, 2023

CEO Update 127

Becerra Renews COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Through May 11 U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday renewed the nation’s COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) status for another 90 days through May 11. “Based on current trends regarding COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning for this […]

February 3, 2023

CEO Update 226

NABH Education and Research Foundation Partners with Manatt to Produce Issue Brief on Telehealth Services in PHP and IOP The NABH Education and Research Foundation this week released an issue brief that shows how telehealth services effectively augment traditional partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). The telehealth issue brief is the first […]

January 27, 2023

CEO Update 225

NABH Submits Comment Letter on Federal and State Health Exchange Proposed Rule for 2024 Today, NABH submitted comments on the Contract Year 2024 proposed rule related to the federal and state health exchange marketplace. NABH expressed support for the generally positive rule, including its multiple proposals to assist consumers seeking to enroll in exchange-based health […]

January 20, 2023

CEO Update 224

SAMHSA Announces Monica Johnson as 988 & Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office Director The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced this week that Monica Johnson, M.A., LPC is the new director of the 988 & Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office. Johnson has worked in the behavioral health field for 26 years and […]

January 13, 2023

CEO Update 223

HHS Awards Nearly $245 Million to Support Youth Mental Health and the Healthcare Workforce The U.S. Health and Human Services Administration (HHS) announced this week it awarded nearly $245 million in funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to support youth mental health and help the healthcare workforce address mental health needs. The funding—released […]

January 6, 2023

CEO Update 222

NABH Welcomes Harsh K. Trivedi, M.D., M.B.A as 2023 Board Chair NABH is pleased to welcome Sheppard Pratt President & CEO Harsh K. Trivedi, M.D., M.B.A as the association’s board chair for 2023. Harsh has served as an NABH board member as well as a member of the association’s workplace violence prevention workgroup and Covid-19 […]

December 16, 2022

CEO Update 221

Two Proposed Rules Would Improve Prior Authorization and Network Adequacy The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week released two proposed rules related to longstanding concerns with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and other insurers that are designed to improve quality of care and plan accountability. These rules respond to the HHS Office of […]

December 9, 2022

CEO 220

CMS Proposes Electronic Prior Authorization for Providers and Payers The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week released a proposed rule that would require certain providers and payers to implement an electronic prior-authorization process, shorten the timeframe for payers to respond to prior-authorization requests, and work to make the prior-authorization process more efficient […]

December 2, 2022

CEO Update 219

Senate Finance Committee Releases ‘Fifth and Final’ Mental Health Parity Discussion Draft Senate Finance Committee leaders on Thursday released what they said is their fifth and final legislative mental health parity discussion draft in their effort to place access to behavioral healthcare on par with physical healthcare in Medicare and Medicaid. Previous iterations of […]

November 28, 2022

CEO Update 218

HHS Announces $350 Million Initiative to Boost Covid-19 Vaccinations The U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on Tuesday announced a $350 million initiative for HRSA-supported health centers to increase Covid-19 vaccinations in their communities, with a specific focus on underserved populations. The funding will help health centers provide […]

November 18, 2022

CEO Update 217

News Reports Signal HHS Will Extend Covid-19 PHE Through April 2023 Several news outlets have reported that the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) intends to extend the existing Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) through April 2023. The current PHE—which has been extended many times since 2020—is effective through Jan. 11, 2023. FDA Announces […]

November 4, 2022

CEO Update 216

CMS Releases Final Physician Fee Schedule and OPPS Rules for 2023 Telehealth services authorized temporarily during the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE) will extend through at least 2023 and for at least 151 days after the PHE ends, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in the agency’s final 2023 Physician Fee Schedule […]

October 28, 2022

CEO Update 215

GAO Report Identifies Challenges and Opportunities to Recruit and Retain Behavioral Health Workforce Financial, educational, and workplace challenges are three categories that pose the greatest challenges to recruiting and retaining behavioral health providers, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in a new report. The GAO was assigned to review what is known about the behavioral […]

October 21, 2022

CEO Update 214

MHA Releases ‘State of Mental Health in America’ Report for 2023 More than 50 million Americans experienced a mental illness between 2019 and 2020, while more than one in 10 youth in the United States experience depression that is severely impairing their ability to function at school or work, at home, with family, or in […]

October 14, 2022

CEO Update 213

NABH 2023 Board Position Nominations Due Today! The deadline to submit nominations for the 2023 NABH Board Chair-Elect and two available NABH Board seats is today, Friday, Oct. 14. The NABH Selection Committee is seeking senior managers who represent the association’s diverse membership related to levels of care, organizational structures, and size. Please download a […]

October 7, 2022

CEO Update 212

NABH Seeking Candidates for 2023 Board Positions The NABH Selection Committee is seeking nominations to fill the NABH Board Chair-Elect and two NABH Board seats that will become available in 2023. In particular, the committee wants to identify senior managers who represent the association’s diverse membership related to levels of care, organizational structures, and size. […]

September 30, 2022

CEO Update 211

House to Vote Friday on Senate-Approved Stopgap Spending Measure The House of Representatives is expected to vote Friday on the short-term spending bill the Senate approved Thursday to avert a federal government shutdown and increase aid to Ukraine. Included in the legislation is a provision to continue funding the national 988 behavioral crisis hotline through […]

September 23, 2022

CEO Update 210

Biden Administration Announces More Than $1.6 Billion for Communities to Address Addiction & Overdose Crises The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) on Friday announced it will award more than $1.6 billion in investments to communities nationwide to address America’s addiction and overdose crises. Funding will come from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health […]

September 16, 2022

CEO Update 209

NABH Annual Membership Updates Are Due Today, Sept. 16! Today, Friday, Sept. 16, is the deadline for members to submit changes about their organizations for the online-only NABH 2022 Membership Directory. Last month NABH sent its system members a message with a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure we have the most […]

September 9, 2022

CEO Update 208

NABH Welcomes Rochelle Archuleta as Executive Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy Rochelle Archuleta has joined NABH as executive vice president for government relations and public policy, effective Sept. 6. Rochelle brings to NABH 30 years of experience in the health policy, healthcare delivery system, and legislative arenas. During her 20-year tenure as a […]

September 2, 2022

CEO Update 207

September is National Recovery Awareness Month This week kicked off National Recovery Month, a national observance every September since 1989 intended to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and community leaders who make recovery possible. During this past week’s Overdose Awareness Week, […]

August 26, 2022

CEO Update 206

Extended Deadline: NABH Annual Membership Updates Are Due Friday, Sept. 16 NABH has extended the deadline to Friday, Sept. 16 for members to submit changes about their organizations for the online-only NABH 2022 Membership Directory. Last month NABH sent its system members a message with a link to the association’s membership-update tool. To help ensure […]

August 19, 2022

CEO Update 205

CMS Releases ‘Roadmap’ for Providers to Prepare for End of Covid-19 PHE The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week released a series of fact sheets and resources to help the nation’s healthcare providers prepare for the end of the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE), which will also end many of the flexibilities the […]

CEO Update 203

Final 2023 IPF-PPS Rule Calls for 2.5% Payment Increase to IPFs in 2023 In a final rule released Thursday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said total estimated payments to inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs) are estimated to increase by 2.5%, or $90 million, in fiscal year 2023 relative to IPF payments in 2022. […]

CEO Update 202

ONDCP Director Identifies Gaps and Proposes Better System for Tracking Nonfatal Overdoses In a recent JAMA commentary, the head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said the lack of real-time data for both fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses in the United States undermines the ability to respond accountably and restricts […]

CEO Update 200

CMS Proposes to Modernize Coverage for Behavioral Health Services in 2023 Physician Fee Schedule Rule The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday proposed new policies to update coverage for behavioral health services in the agency’s physician fee schedule proposed rule for 2023. In the rule, CMS proposes to address the behavioral healthcare […]

CEO Update 199

SAMHSA to Host Webinar on 42 CFR Part 2 Compliance Next Week The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will host a 90-minute webinar for business managers and compliance officers on July 7 to help ensure their organizations comply with SAMHSA’s 42 CFR Part 2 regulations. The lesson will highlight the latest updates […]

CEO Update 198

Senate Passes Gun-Control Bill with Mental Health Provisions The Senate on Thursday passed the most significant gun-control legislation since the mid-1990s in a bill that includes about $15 billion in mental health and school security funding. The House is expected to vote today, June 24, on the measure. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act expands the […]

CEO Update 197

NABH Annual Meeting Kicks Off on Monday! We’re pleased to devote this week’s edition of CEO Update to details about our Annual Meeting that starts on Monday, June 13! Our theme this year is Shaping the Future of Behavioral Healthcare, and our speakers—including HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra— will address topics that affect our industry today […]

CEO Update 196

White House Releases Fact Sheet on Strategy to Address Nation’s Mental Health Crisis The Biden Administration concluded Mental Health Month this week by announcing new actions to advance President Biden’s mental health strategy in three previously announced objectives: strengthening system capacity, connecting more Americans to care services, and creating a continuum of support. The White […]

CEO Update 195

HHS Leaders Encourage States to Prioritize Efforts to Support Children’s Mental Health Following Tuesday’s shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas—the deadliest U.S. school shooting in 10 years in which a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers—U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) agency leaders sent a joint letter to states, tribes, […]

CEO Update 194

NABH and Other Healthcare Groups Request Review of Three-Judge Panel’s Ruling in Wit v. UBH NABH last week requested that the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals review a recent ruling from a three-judge panel that erroneously reversed a trial court’s landmark decision last year in the mental health class action, Wit v. United Behavioral Health. […]

CEO Update 193

CDC Predicts U.S. Overdose Deaths Surpassed 107,000 in 2021 More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released this week. The troubling statistic—the CDC predicts the total to be 107,622 lives lost— hit a new record, as the number of […]

CEO Update 192

ASPE Report Studies Pandemic’s Effects on Hospital and Clinician Workforce A comprehensive report from HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) examines the Covid-19 pandemic’s effects on the nation’s healthcare workforce and offers several recommendations, including removing barriers to practicing to the top of one’s license/certification, retaining Covid-19 flexibilities as appropriate, funding for scholarships, […]

CEO Update 191

CMS Behavioral Health Strategy Aims to Strengthen Equity, Improve Quality, and Provide Outreach to Beneficiaries The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released The CMS Behavioral Health Strategy, a five-goal plan that aims to remove barriers to care and services and also adopt a data-informed approach to evaluate the agency’s behavioral health programs […]

CEO Update 190

President Biden Sends National Drug Control Policy to Congress President Biden on Thursday sent his administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Policy to Congress with the goal of using a whole-of-government approach to combat the nation’s overdose crisis. The comprehensive strategy focuses on the main drivers of the crisis—untreated addiction and drug trafficking—as it directs federal […]

CEO Update 189

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Issues Draft Recommendations on Screening for Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents In a set of draft recommendations this week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) recommended screening children 12 and older for depression and children 8 and older for anxiety. “There is not enough evidence […]

CEO Update 188

HRSA Announces ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ Option for Provider Relief Fund Reporting HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) this week said it will allow healthcare providers to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Period 1 if one or more certain extenuating circumstances apply to their […]

CEO Update 187

CMS Proposes 2.7% Increase to Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities in 2023 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday proposed increasing payment rates to the nation’s inpatient psychiatric facilities by 2.7% in fiscal year (FY) 2023, reflecting a 1.5% increase in payments, or about $50 million, relative to FY 2022. According to the agency’s […]

CEO Update 186

Three-Judge Panel in 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Overturns Wit v. United Behavioral Health In a blow to parity, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week overturned a trial court’s Wit v. United Behavioral Health (UBH) decision, asserting that UBH’s interpretation that health insurance plans do not require consistency with generally […]

CEO Update 186

CEO Alliance for Mental Health Announces Rollout to Prepare for 988 Hotline Launch The CEO Alliance for Mental Health this week announced the start of coordinated effort to help prepare state and municipal officials for the nationwide 988 behavioral crisis hotline that will launch on July 16. NABH is a member of the CEO Alliance, […]

CEO Update 185

Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 2 Deadline is March 31 The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting portal remains open for healthcare providers who need to report their use of PRF funds in Reporting Period 2 (RP2) by the deadline on Thursday, March 31. According to HRSA, providers who received […]

CEO Update 184

HHS Secretary Becerra Launches National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday kicked off the National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health as a way to hear directly from Americans about their behavioral health challenges and engage with local officials to strengthen the mental health and crisis […]

February 25, 2022

CEO Update 183

HHS Pays More Than $560 Million to Providers in PRF Phase 4 Distribution This Week HHS on Thursday announced that the department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is making more than $560 million in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 Distribution payments to more than 4,100 healthcare providers nationwide this week. With this latest […]

February 18, 2022

CEO Update 182

Biden Administration Announces RFI on Access to Care for Medicaid and CHIP Enrollees The Biden administration this week announced a request for information (RFI) in its effort to develop a comprehensive access strategy to ensure equitable access to healthcare for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries. According to the announcement, this strategy will […]

February 11, 2022

CEO Update 181

2022 NABH Annual Meeting Registration is Open! NABH is pleased to announce that registration opened this week for the 2022 NABH Annual Meeting: Shaping the Future of Behavioral Healthcare. Please join us from Monday, June 13 – Wednesday, June 15 at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC, and visit our Annual Meeting webpage to register for […]

February 4, 2022

CEO Update 180

Federal Lawmakers Examine U.S. Mental Health Crisis in Committee Hearings The influential Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) and House Ways and Means Committees learned about the nation’s persistent mental health and substance use crises in separate hearings on Capitol Hill this week. On Tuesday, senators heard from five expert witnesses, including Mitch Prinstein, […]

January 28, 2022

CEO Update 179

HHS, Treasury, and Labor Departments Release Parity Report to Congress The Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Treasury issued a report and fact sheet on Tuesday, Jan. 25 documenting widespread lack of compliance with federal parity rules among commercial health plans. The report specifically highlights lack of compliance with a new […]

January 21, 2022

CEO Update 178

HHS Announces $103 Million to Reduce Burnout and Promote Wellness in Healthcare Workforce The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) this week announced it will award $103 million in American Rescue Plan funding for evidence-informed programs, practices, and training to retain healthcare workers, reduce burnout, and promote health and wellness among the nation’s healthcare […]

January 14, 2022

CEO Update 177

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers In a 5-4 vote Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it will allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) regulation to proceed that mandates the Covid-19 vaccine for about 10.3 million workers at approximately 76,000 healthcare facilities that accept money from the Medicare […]

January 7, 2022

CEO Update 176

CMS Issues Guidance on Covid-19 Vaccination Requirements for Most Medicare- and Medicaid-Certified Providers The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Dec. 29 issued guidance regarding the Interim Final Rule (IFR) regarding Covid-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare staff that the agency published in early November. In the Dec, 29 memo, CMS specified that this guidance […]

December 17, 2021

CEO Update 175

President Biden Signs Debt Ceiling Increase, Staving Off Medicare Provider Cuts President Biden on Thursday signed legislation that permits a federal debt ceiling increase and also forestalls expected Medicare payment cuts to providers. Passed by Congress this week, the bill to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit by about $2.5 trillion—and cover its obligations […]

December 10, 2021

CEO Update 174

Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Nation’s Youth Mental Health Crisis U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. this week issued the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health, which outlines recommendations to address America’s youth mental health crisis. “Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, […]

November 19, 2021

CEO Update 172

U.S. Overdose Deaths Reach Record High During Covid-19 Pandemic More than 100,000 Americans died of overdoses for the 12-month period that ended in April 2021, marking the first time the number of U.S. overdose deaths has surpassed 100,000 in a year, according to provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). This record […]

November 12, 2021

CEO Update 171

CMS Freezes CY 2022 Methadone Reimbursement Rates in Interim Final Rule In an interim final rule (IFR), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it will freeze methadone reimbursement rates for calendar year (CY) 2022. CMS is establishing a limited exception to the current CMS methodology for determining rates for the drug episode […]

November 5, 2021

CEO Update 170

CMS Issues Emergency Rule Requiring Covid-19 Vaccination for Medicare & Medicaid Providers The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday issued an emergency regulation requiring Covid-19 vaccination for eligible staff at certain healthcare facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Facilities covered under this regulation must establish a policy that ensures […]

October 22, 2021

CEO Update 168

Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 Application Deadline is Next Week The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) will accept applications for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) rural payments through next Tuesday, Oct. 26 by 11:59 p.m. ET. PRF Phase 4 is open to a broad range […]

October 15, 2021

CEO Update 167

HHS Hosts Technical Webinars as Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 Application Deadline Approaches The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) will accept applications for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through Tuesday, Oct. 26. HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers provider relief programs and is using a single application portal […]

October 1, 2021

CEO Update 166

Reminder: Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 Application Deadline is Oct. 26 The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is accepting applications for phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through Tuesday, Oct. 26. HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers provider relief programs and is using a single application portal to make […]

September 24, 2021

CEO Update 165

NABH to Welcome SAMHSA Administrator Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. at 2021 Annual Meeting Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphin, Rittmon, Ph.D. will address attendees at the 2021 NABH Annual Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon serves as administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services […]

September 17, 2021

CEO Update 164

HHS Provides More Information About Latest Covid Provider Relief Fund Announcement The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) this week hosted a webinar to provide details about the department’s recent announcement that it is making available $25.5 billion in new Covid relief funding for providers. The department also released some fact sheets, including one […]

September 10, 2021

CEO Update 163

HHS Announces $25.5 Billion in Covid-19 Provider Funding The Biden administration announced Friday that the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is making available $25.5 billion in new funding for healthcare providers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to an announcement, the funding—which HHS is making available through the Health Resources and Services Administration […]

September 3, 2021

CEO Update 162

SAMHSA’s Distress Helpline Available for Victims of Hurricane Ida The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is providing immediate crisis counseling to people who have experienced Hurricane Ida, including survivors, first responders, witnesses, or those who have seen related media reports. In a statement, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health […]

August 27, 2021

CEO Update 161

Mental Health Companies Headspace and Ginger Plan $3 Billion Merger Mental health companies Headspace and Ginger this week announced plans to merge, forming a new company called Headspace Health with a reported value of $3 billion. A story in the publication Stat reported that the move will place the new company in the top echelon […]

August 20, 2021

CEO Update 160

SAMHSA Distributes $11 million to Train First Responders & Community Groups on Overdose Prevention The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has distributed 13 grants totaling $11 million to reduce the number of prescription drug and overdose-related deaths and adverse events by training first responders and other essential community groups. SAMHSA’s announcement said […]

August 13, 2021

CEO Update 159

United Healthcare Sued by Labor Department The US Department of Labor (DOL) has sued UnitedHealthcare and United Behavioral Health alleging the companies systematically limit coverage of mental healthcare more than medical and surgical care in violation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The complaint filed […]

CEO Update 158

Miriam Delphin-Rittmon Sworn in As Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., former commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, is the new assistant secretary for mental health and substance use and agency’s administrator. In May […]

CEO Update 157

CMS to Raise IPF PPS Payment Rates by 2% in 2022 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it will update payment rates for IPFs by 2.0% next year in the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) final rule the agency released Thursday. The calculation is based […]

CEO Update 156

Life expectancy in the U.S. fell by 1.5 years in 2020, biggest decline since at least World War II Provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that life expectancy dropped to 77.3 years in 2020, the largest single-year decline recorded since 1943. Nearly 75% of the decline in the 2020 […]

CEO Update 155

CMS Accepting Grant Applications for SUPPORT Act Demonstration Project The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday released a notice of funding opportunity to solicit applications for the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment Act (SUPPORT) 36-month demonstration project. Open only to the 15 states receiving planning grants, the […]

CEO Update 154

NABH Introduces Denial-of-Care Portal for Members NABH this week introduced the NABH Denial-of-Care Portal, a resource for members to provide information about their experiences with managed care organizations that impose barriers to care through insurance-claim denials. NABH’s Managed Care Committee has worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way […]

CEO Update 153

SAMHSA Awards Grant to Vibrant Emotional Health to Administer 988 Crisis Hotline The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week announced Vibrant Emotional Health will be the administrators for the new 988 dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that will be available in July 2022. A pair of SAMHSA grants […]

CEO Update 152

OSHA Releases Covid-19 Workplace Safety Rule for Healthcare Workers The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Thursday released a workplace safety rule intended to protect workers from exposure to SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Called an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), the rule applies only to workers in healthcare settings, a […]

CEO Update 151

President Biden’s $6 Trillion Budget Proposal Includes Funding Increases for SAMHSA President Biden’s $6 trillion budget proposal for 2022 includes significant funding increases for several Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs, including a $1.65 billion increase—including 10% set aside for recovery services—for the agency’s Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Block Grant […]

CEO Update 150

NABH Submits Comments on IPF-PPS FY 2022 Proposed Rule NABH on Friday submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency’s inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule for fiscal year 2022. The eight-page letter provided an overview of how the Covid-19 pandemic has led to an […]

CEO Update 149

SAMHSA to Distribute $3 Billion in Block Grants; Becerra Forms Behavioral Health Council The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) this week announced the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will distribute $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding, the largest aggregate funding amount to date for the agency’s mental health and […]

CEO Update 148

NABH and Other Healthcare Groups Urge HHS to Extend Provider Relief Fund Deadline NABH and eight other healthcare associations this week urged the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) to extend the June 30 deadline by which providers must use their Covid-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments. Instead, the groups wrote in a letter […]

CEO Update 147

May 7 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day To honor National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day today, NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin published a LinkedIn Pulse article about the critical role that residential treatment plays in youth behavioral healthcare. The article highlights Residential Treatment: A Vital Component of the Behavioral Healthcare Continuum, the […]

CEO Update 146

Mental Health Awareness Month Begins Saturday, May 1 Mental Health Awareness Month, also referred to as Mental Health Month, kicks off Saturday, May 1 to recognize the millions of Americans living with a mental illness. Please be sure to follow NABH on Twitter and LinkedIn to help promote Mental Health Month, and visit the websites […]

CEO Update 145

HHS Secretary Becerra Extends Covid-19 Public Health Emergency U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has extended the public health emergency (PHE) due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, effective April 21. The declaration typically lasts for 90 days, which would extend the PHE to July 20, given that Becerra renewed the PHE on […]

CEO Update 144

NABH Releases ‘Residential Treatment: A Vital Component of the Behavioral Healthcare Continuum’ NABH this week released Residential Treatment: A Vital Component of the Behavioral Healthcare Continuum, a white paper that emphasizes the importance and effectiveness of psychiatric residential treatment services for children and adolescents. Together the NABH team and Youth Services Committee developed the paper […]

CEO Update 143

CMS Proposes 2.1% Payment Increase to Per-Diem Base Rate for IPFs in FY 2022 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week proposed a 2.1-percent, Medicare payment increase to the per-diem base rate for inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF) for fiscal year (FY) 2022. This adjustment would increase the per-diem base rate to […]

CEO Update 142

Biden Administration Releases Drug-Policy Priorities for Year One The Biden administration on Thursday released a statement outlining its first-year, drug-policy priorities to address America’s overdose and addiction crises. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Acting Director Regina LaBelle noted in an announcement that these priorities will complement President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, […]

CEO Update 141

NABH Priorities for the 117th Congress Now Available NABH this week released its updated advocacy agenda, NABH Priorities for the 117th Congress, in a document available on the association’s homepage.In previous years, NABH released its Legislative and Regulatory Priorities this time of year at the Annual Meeting in time for Hill Day. This year, NABH […]

CEO Update 140

New Milliman Study Analyzes Behavioral Healthcare Utilization During Covid-19 Pandemic An analysis of insurance claims comparing the same periods in 2019 and 2020 found that mental health and substance use disorder inpatient admissions dropped through April 2020—similar to decreases seen in physical healthcare services—but that subsequent behavioral health inpatient admissions increased through August 2020 at […]

CEO Update 139

Historic $1.9 Trillion Covid Relief Bill Includes Billions for Behavioral Healthcare President Biden on Thursday signed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help Americans and the U.S. economy rebuild amid the Covid-19 global pandemic that brought the world to a halt a year ago this week. The landmark legislation provides some […]

CEO Update 138

Murthy Vows to Focus on Pandemic’s Mental Health Effects if Confirmed as Surgeon General U.S. surgeon general nominee Vivek Murthy, M.D. said this week he will focus on the mental health effects of the Covid-19 global pandemic if he is confirmed to the post. Murthy told CBS This Morning on Tuesday that the nation is […]

February 26, 2021

CEO Update 137

CDC Reports U.S. Suicide Rate Fell Before Covid-19 Global Pandemic The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week reported that after increasing for 13 years, the U.S. suicide rate dropped overall by 2% between 2018 and 2019, but it cautioned those figures do not account for the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact. A total of […]

February 12, 2021

CEO Update 135

House Reconciliation Package Includes Strong Support for Behavioral Healthcare U.S. House committees this week began marking up the Covid-19 reconciliation package that largely reflects the Biden administration’s priorities and includes strong support for behavioral healthcare and a number of NABH priorities. House members expect quick passage on a party-line basis for the legislation, which includes […]

February 5, 2021

CEO Update 134

CMS Announces Special Enrollment Period in Marketplaces During Covid-19 Pandemic The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a special enrollment period (SEP) for consumers—including both individuals and families—in the 36 states that operate health insurance marketplaces through HealthCare.gov, citing the “unprecedented challenges” that the Covid-19 public health emergency has created. “Millions of […]

January 29, 2021

CEO Update 133

CMS Issues Memo to Clarify Expectations of Hospital Surveys During Pandemic The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Clinical Standards and Quality has issued a memo that clarifies expectations regarding hospital surveys during the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic. According to the memo, surveys will be limited to “Immediate Danger” complaint allegations for […]

January 22, 2021

CEO Update 132

Coderre & LaBelle Named as Acting Heads of SAMHSA and ONDCP Tom Coderre, former Region 1 administrator at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has been named SAMHSA’s acting assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, and Regina LaBelle, former chief of staff at the White House Office of National Drug […]

January 15, 2021

CEO Update 131

HHS to Expand Access to MAT by Eliminating ‘X-Waiver’ for DEA-Registered Physicians The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) on Thursday said it will publish new guidelines that will exempt office-based physicians from having to receive a DATA 2000 waiver, known as the X-waiver, in order to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder treatment […]

January 8, 2021

CEO Update 130

SAMHSA’s Elinore McCance-Katz Resigns Following Violence at U.S. Capitol Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D. announced Thursday she is resigning as the nation’s assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, citing the riotous takeover of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. According to her statement, McCance-Katz had intended to stay in her role at the Substance […]

December 18, 2020

CEO Update 129

Congress Works to Complete Covid-19 Relief Bill as Federal Funding Deadline Nears Federal lawmakers on Friday continued to work on a $900 billion Covid-19 funding relief bill to avert a government shutdown before federal funding expires at midnight. Congress has already agreed on a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill, the legislative vehicle for the $900 billion […]

December 11, 2020

CEO Update 128

HHS Updates Covid-19 Reporting Guidance for Hospitals, Labs, and Acute-Care Facilities In guidance released this week, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) said hospitals, hospital laboratories, and acute-care facilities will be required to include incidences of patients with influenza in their Covid-19 data reporting data as of Dec. 18. The new influenza fields […]

December 4, 2020

CEO Update 127

CDC Director Approves ACIP’s Covid-19 Vaccine Plan for Healthcare Workers, LTCFs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, M.D. on Thursday approved a CDC committee’s recommendation that healthcare personnel and long-term care facility (LTCF) residents be offered the Covid-19 vaccine in the vaccination program’s initial phase. The agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization […]

November 6, 2020

CEO Update 124

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), Addiction Recovery Champion, Dies at 74 Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), a champion for addiction recovery, died Thursday at the age of 74. Ramstad, who had been ailing from Parkinson’s Disease, channeled his personal battle with addiction to become a strong advocate for recovery. He represented Minnesota’s third […]

October 16, 2020

CEO Update 121

Presidential Executive Order Establishes Coronavirus Mental Health Working Group The White House last week issued an executive order to create a Coronavirus Mental Health Working Group that is expected to develop a plan that addresses Covid-19’s mental health effects on Americans and calls for agencies to maximize support for behavioral healthcare treatment. President Trump’s Saving […]

October 9, 2020

CEO Update 120

CMS Gives Medicare Part A & B Providers One More Year to Repay AAP Loans The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said Thursday it will give Medicare Part A and B providers and suppliers an additional year to repay loans the agency made to them during the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE). CMS […]

CEO Update 111

NABH and Other Healthcare Advocacy Groups Provide Feedback on Latest Covid-19 Legislation NABH this week weighed in on issues specific to behavioral healthcare providers in the $1 trillion Covid-19 stimulus package that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) released on Monday, July 27. Referred to collectively as the HEALS Act, the legislation includes a total […]

CEO Update: 106

HHS Temporarily Suspends Quarterly Reports from Provider Relief Fund Recipients HHS on June 13 updated previous guidance to say recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments do not need submit a separate quarterly report to HHS or the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) had included the requirement, but […]

CEO Update 101

NABH Letter to Lawmakers Outlines How to Address Covid-19’s Effects on Behavioral Health NABH’s Covid-19 task force on Tuesday sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and senior congressional leaders that lists behavioral healthcare providers’ top challenges and recommendations as America prepares for a surge in mental health and addiction issues resulting from the […]

CEO Update 98

CMS Expects FY 2021 IPF Payments to Increase by 2.4% The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 10 said it expects payments to inpatient psychiatric facilities to increase by 2.4% in fiscal year 2021, boosting the federal per diem base rate to $817.59 from $798.55. An announcement about CMS’ proposed inpatient psychiatric […]

CEO Update 95

President Trump Signs $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill to Address Covid-19 Pandemic President Trump on Friday signed a $2 trillion stimulus package to address the Covid-19 pandemic’s devastating effects on the nation. Earlier Friday, the House passed the Senate-approved Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which includes several provisions to address costs and other burdens […]

CEO Update 93

WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic; NABH Cancels 2020 Annual Meeting The World Health Organization this week declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic as the virus has spread to more than 100 countries and killed more than 4,200 people. After careful consideration, NABH this week cancelled the 2020 NABH Annual Meeting and all related […]

February 14, 2020

CEO Update 89

White House Proposes Changes to IMD Exclusion in 2021 Budget Proposal to Congress The White House this week released a $4.8 trillion budget for 2021 that would modify Medicaid’s Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to provide states with flexibility to provide inpatient mental health services to beneficiaries with serious mental illness (SMI). The budget […]

February 7, 2020

CEO Update 88

ONDCP Issues 2020 National Drug Control Strategy and Treatment Plan The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) this week issued its national 2020 National Drug Control Strategy (Strategy) and accompanying National Treatment Plan (NTP) that includes action items for federal agencies and external stakeholders to increase access to care and close the addiction treatment […]

January 17, 2020

CEO Update 86

CMS Announces New Survey and Certification Process for Psychiatric Hospitals The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week announced it has streamlined the process to survey the nation’s psychiatric hospitals to review for compliance with participation requirements in one comprehensive survey. Beginning in March, CMS will send psychiatric hospitals one survey to […]

January 10, 2020

CEO Update 85

CMS Releases Fact Sheet for Medicare-Enrolled OTPs The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released an 18-page fact sheet about Medicare billing and payment for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) that participate in the federal program. CMS began paying for enrolled OTPs to deliver opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services to Medicare beneficiaries on […]

December 20, 2019

CEO Update 84

Congress Agrees to $5.9 Billion for SAMHSA in FY 2020 Spending Bill Package Federal lawmakers this week agreed to fund the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at $5.9 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2020, $140 million above the 2019 enacted level and $205 million above the president’s budget request. The funding is […]

November 22, 2019

CEO Update | 81

FCC Chairman Proposes ‘988’ for National Suicide Prevention Hotline Federal Communications Commission Chairman (FCC) Ajit Pai this week proposed rulemaking to establish 988 as a new, nationwide, three-digit phone number for a suicide prevention and mental health hotline. “The suicide rate in the United States is at its highest level since World War II and […]

November 15, 2019

CEO Update | 80

2.2 Million Kids Impacted by the Opioid Crisis 2.2 million children experienced neonatal withdrawal, entered foster care, or were addicted to opioids themselves in 2017, according to a new report from the United Hospital Fund. The report found that 54 out of 1,000 children in West Virginia were impacted by the opioid crisis and 20 […]

November 8, 2019

CEO Update | 79

CMS Finalizes OTP Provisions in 2020 Physician Fee Schedule The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized provisions for the nation’s opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in the 2020 Physician Fee Schedule regulation that the agency released on Nov. 1. NABH released an NABH Analysis that provides a summary of those provisions, which provide for […]

November 1, 2019

CEO Update | 78

Psych-Appeal Files Class Action Complaint Against Health Care Service Corp. and MCG Health The firm Psych-Appeal this week filed a class-action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging that Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC)—a mutual legal reserve company and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association— […]

October 25, 2019

CEO Update | 77

NABH, MHA, and NAMI Send Letter to Congress About Citizens Commission on Human Rights NABH, Mental Health America (MHA), and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) this week sent a letter to Congress about the work of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an activist organization representing Scientology that questions the legitimacy of […]

October 18, 2019

CEO Update | 76

New Analysis Shows Opioid Crisis Cost the U.S. Economy $631 Billion Over Four Years America’s opioid crisis has cost the U.S. economy at least $631 billion from 2015 to 2018, according to a new analysis from the Society of Actuaries on non-medical opioid use. The report also projected future costs of the opioid crisis for […]

October 11, 2019

CEO Update | 75

SAMHSA Releases Recovery Home Best Practices and Guidance The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week releasedbest practices and suggested guidelines for recovery housing. Last year’s Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act requires the HHS secretary to identify or facilitate developing best practices […]

October 4, 2019

CEO Update | 74

NABH President and CEO Mark Covall to Retire; Shawn Coughlin Named as Successor NABH President and CEO Mark Covall announced this week his plans to retire on Dec. 31, 2019 after more than 35 years with the association and 24 years as its president and CEO. The NABH Board of Trustees subsequently named Shawn Coughlin, […]

September 27, 2019

CEO Update | 73

NIH Has Awarded $945 Million to Address Nation’s Opioid Crisis in 2019 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this week it has awarded $945 million in fiscal year 2019 to 41 states nationwide as part of its Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL. NIH said its agency-wide research effort is meant […]

September 20, 2019

CEO Update | 72

CMS Releases FAQ on Qualified Residential Treatment Programs The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday released a Frequently Asked Questions document that clarifies how the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) Exclusion affects Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs). CMS released the document following the Family First Prevention Services Act— included in theBalance Budget […]

September 13, 2019

CEO Update | 71

NABH Endorses Legislation For a 3-Digit Suicide Prevention Line NABH joined nearly 50 mental health organizations in endorsing The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (HR 4194), which would establish a national 3-digit suicide prevention line. The legislation has nearly 70 congressional co-sponsors and a bipartisan Senate companion bill is currently being drafted. NABH previously sent […]

September 6, 2019

CEO Update | 70

HHS Announces $1.8 billion in Funding to States to Fight Opioid Crisis HHS this week announced more than $1.8 billion in funding to states to combat America’s deadly opioid crisis by expanding access to treatment and supporting near real-time data on the drug overdoses. As part of the funding, the Centers for Disease Control and […]

August 23, 2019

CEO Update | 69

SAMHSA Releases 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health The United States saw a significant decrease in prescription opioid use among all age groups and a significant increase in serious mental illness last year, according to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration […]

August 16, 2019

CEO Update | 68

Task Force Recommends Physicians Ask Adult Patients About Illicit Drug Use The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force this week recommended that physicians ask all U.S. adults aged 18 or older about possible illicit drug use—including opioid painkillers—as part of the federal government’s ongoing effort to address America’s opioid crisis. The recommendation from the independent panel […]

August 12, 2019

CEO Update | 67

SAMHSA Highlights Disaster Distress Line Following Recent Spate of Shootings Following mass shootings in California, Texas, and Ohio within one week, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) urged survivors and first responders to use the agency’s Disaster Distress Hotline Helpline for immediate crisis counseling. The helpline is available 24 hours a day, […]

CEO Update | 66

CMS Announces 1.5-percent Increase for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities for 2020 in Final Rule The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Medicare payment increase of 1.5 percent next year for inpatient psychiatric facilities in the final Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment Systems (IPF PPS) rule the agency released earlier this week. Compared with […]

CEO Update | 65

Threat of Sequestration Ends with Bipartisan Budget Act White House and Congressional leaders agreed to large increases in base funding for defense and nondefense spending on Thursday, with the expectation of support by the Senate in a vote next week. The budget deal establishes a funding base above spending cap levels that could trigger mandatory […]

CEO Update | 64

House Energy and Commerce Committee Advances No Surprises Act The House Energy and Commerce Committee this week approved legislation to end “surprise” medical bills with the addition of third-party arbitration. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the panel’s ranking member, co-sponsored the No Surprises Act, which advanced […]

CEO Update | 63

New Quality Summit to Assess HHS’ Quality Programs HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan this week announced the department’s new Quality Summit, which will join government leaders and healthcare industry stakeholders to discuss how to adapt and streamline HHS’ current quality programs in a way that improves outcomes for patients. Hargan will co-chair the Quality Summit with […]

CEO Update | 62

CDC Provisional Data Show Opioid Deaths Likely to Fall for First Time Since 1990 Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show drug-overdose deaths are on the brink of declining, but researchers are quick to caution the nation’s deadly opioid crisis is far from over. The CDC’s data predict there were […]

CEO Update | 61

NABH Submits FY 2020 IPF PPS Rule Comments to CMS NABH this week urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) not to include any new measures in the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting (IPFQR) program, but instead work with the behavioral healthcare provider community to improve existing measures. That was the broad message […]

CEO Update | 60

Representatives Porter, Bilirakis, and Norcross Introduce Mental Health Parity Compliance Act Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) this week introduced the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act, the House version of the bill that Sens. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced last week. The legislation is based on […]

CEO Update | 59

FAIR Health Analyzes Claims to Determine Behavioral Health Trends from 2007-2017 Claim lines with behavioral health diagnoses increased 108 percent over 10 years, rising to 2.7 percent of all medical claim lines in 2017 from 1.3 percent of all medical claim lines in 2007, according to a new report from not-for-profit organization FAIR Health. Analyzing […]

CEO Update | 58

Mental Health Liaison Group Supports Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act NABH and more than 40 other organizations that comprise the Mental Health Liaison Group this week sent letters to House and Senate lawmakers that expressed strong support for the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2019. “In unity, we advocated tirelessly for the enactment of […]

CEO Update | 57

America’s Health Rankings’ Senior Report Shows Rise in Excessive Drinking and Depression Excessive drinking increased 12 percent from 2016 to 2019 among the nation’s seniors, while the percentage of seniors who reported a health professional has told them they have depression has risen 19 percent in the last year alone, according to America’s Health Rankings’ […]

CEO Update | 56

New Report Shows Prescription Opioid Volume Declined 17 percent in 2018 Prescription opioid dosage volume—defined by morphine milligram equivalents, or MMEs—declined 17-percent in 2018, according to a new report from IQVIA, a research firm that specializes in advanced analytics and technology solutions. The study, Medicine Use and Spending in the U.S.: A Review of 2018 […]

CEO Update | 54

SUPPORT Act Expands Access to Medication Assisted Treatment The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced this week that several sections of last year’s SUPPORT Act made changes to the Controlled Substance Act that affords practitioners with greater flexibility in providing medication assisted treatment, or MAT, to patients. Signed into law in October […]

CEO Update | 53

CMS Proposes 1.7 Percent Increase for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities in 2020 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday proposed a 1.7-percent payment increase for inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF) in 2020, which the agency estimates will increase total IPF payments by about $75 million. In addition, CMS proposed adopting one new claims-based measured […]

CEO Update | 52

OTPs to Follow Standard Care Recommendations for People with Suicide Risk The nation’s opioid treatment programs will be begin following the National Action Alliance (Action Alliance) for Suicide Prevention’s recommended guidelines to care for people with suicide risk in June, the news outlet Stateline reported this week. The story cited statistics from the Centers for […]

CEO Update | 51

China Bans All Types of Fentanyl, Cutting U.S. Supply China this week announced it would ban all types of the opioid fentanyl, a decision that could slow the supply of the deadly drug to the United States. The decision fulfills a pledge that Chinese leader Xi Jinping made to President Trump in December. House Energy […]

CEO Update | 50

Centene Will Acquire WellCare for $17.3 billion Centene Corp. will acquire WellCare Health Plans, Inc. for $17.3 billion in a deal the two companies announced this week will create a new venture focused on government-sponsored healthcare programs that will have about 22 million members across all 50 states and combined revenue of about $100 billion. […]

CEO Update | 49

NABH Launches Access to Care Initiative at 2019 Annual Meeting NABH this week kicked off Access to Care, the association’s new initiative that will provide information and resources to help inform policymakers, regulators, payers, and patient advocates that only true access can lead to recovery. Access to Care focuses on two major challenges: unjust managed […]

CEO Update | 48

President’s Budget Maintains Opioid Funding Levels and Cuts Behavioral Healthcare Funding In his Fiscal Year 2020 budget released this week, President Donald Trump proposed $4.8 billion—which maintains congressional funding levels—to combat the nation’s opioid crisis and proposed hundreds of millions in funding cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) budget and […]

CEO Update | 47

NABH Applauds Landmark Behavioral Healthcare Coverage Ruling in California NABH applauded the decision filed in California’s Northern District earlier this week that will open access to behavioral healthcare services for those who need it. “It has been 10 years since President George W. Bush signed the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and […]

CEO Update | 46

HHS Assesses Impact of Parity in Large Group Employer-Sponsored Insurance Market The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 had a “significant positive impact” on the frequency of outpatient services for both mental health and substance use disorder (SUD), HHS reported this week in Assessing the Impact […]

February 22, 2019

CEO Update | 45

Commonwealth Fund Summarizes Care Programs for Patients with Complex Needs The Commonwealth Fund has released a Quick Reference Guide to Promising Care Models for Patients with Complex Needs, which summarizes the target populations and key features of 28 care models for adults with complex needs, including behavioral health. This guide was updated this year using […]

February 15, 2019

CEO Update | 44

SAMHSA Reports Total Behavioral Health Spending Rose 62 Percent from 2006-2015 Total mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment spending rose about 62 percent to $212 billion in 2015 from $131 billion in 2006, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The federal health agency noted […]

February 1, 2019

CEO Update | 42

NABH Alerts Governors about CMS Opportunity to Address Mental Health and SUD NABH and Mental Health America (MHA) this week sent a letter to the nation’s 50 governors about a new opportunity from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for states to address mental health and substance use disorder (SUD). As part of […]

January 25, 2019

CEO Update | 41

Message from the President and CEO We are pleased to present a new and improved design for CEO Update, your weekly summary of industry and association news! This electronic newsletter serves the same purpose, and we hope you like the updated format. You will also see a new design in our other NABH communication pieces […]

January 11, 2019

CEO Update | 39

NEJM Article Reinforces Themes from NABH’s ‘Pathways to Care’ White Paper In a recent issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, authors of a study about the nation’s emergency departments echoed similar themes and recommendations that NABH provides in Pathways to Care: Treating Opioid and Substance Use Disorders. In their article “Emergency Departments—A 24/7/365 […]

January 4, 2019

CEO Update | 38

Senate Confirms Jim Carroll as Nation’s ‘Drug Czar’ The Senate this week confirmed Jim Carroll as the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Carroll had served as acting director at ONDCP since last February, and President Trump nominated him as permanent director in late April. This is the nation’s first permanent […]

December 21, 2018

CEO Update | 37

CMS Requests Feedback on Conflict of Interest at Accrediting Organizations The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week requested public comment about the appropriateness of some Medicare-approved accrediting organizations (AO) offering fee-based consultative services to providers and suppliers they also accredit as part of their business model. “CMS is seeking to receive stakeholder […]

December 14, 2018

CEO Update | 36

HRSA Releases Behavioral Health Workforce Projections About 276,400 people are expected to enter the behavioral health workforce during the five-year period between 2016 and 2021, HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) estimates in a new analysis. The findings are part of HRSA’s Behavioral Health Workforce Projections that the agency compiled following a mandate from […]

November 16, 2018

CEO Update | 33

CMS Announces Demonstration Projects for SMI and SED The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week announced opportunities for demonstration projects under section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act to improve care for adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED). The 21st Century Cures Act required these […]

November 9, 2018

CEO Update | 32

What the 2018 Midterm Elections Could Mean for Behavioral Healthcare An incoming Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and an expanded Medicaid program will have implications for the nation’s healthcare system in general and behavioral healthcare in particular, although what those changes are remains to be seen. Although some races are still too […]

November 2, 2018

CEO Update | 31

CMS Finalizes 2019 Payment Increases for PHPs In a final rule this week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) set the 2019 hospital-based partial hospitalization program (PHP) payment rate at $220.86. This is above the $216.55 rate that the CMS had recommended in its Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center […]

October 26, 2018

CEO Update | 30

President Signs H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act This week President Trump signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6), which includes the first significant change to the Medicaid program’s Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion since 1972. Other NABH priorities are part of the new law, including a provision […]

October 19, 2018

CEO Update | 29

ASAM and CARF Announce New SUD Treatment Delivery Certification The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) have announced a new national certification program for addiction treatment programs that will “provide an independent, comprehensive assessment of an individual treatment program’s fidelity to a specific level of care […]

October 12, 2018

CEO Update | 28

Lancet Report Estimates Global Mental Health Crisis Could Cost $16 trillion by 2030 Mental health disorders are increasing around the world and could cost the global economy $16 trillion by 2030, a team of 28 global experts concluded in a report published this week in The Lancet. Vikram Patel, a professor at Harvard Medical School […]

October 5, 2018

CEO Update | 27

Senate Passes Bipartisan Opioid Legislation The Senate on Thursday passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the opioid-response legislative package that the House passed last week. Ninety-eight senators voted for the legislation, while Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) voted against it and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) did not vote. As reported in CEO Update last […]

September 28, 2018

CEO Update | 26

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Address Opioid Crisis The House of Representatives on Friday overwhelmingly passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, an opioid-response legislative package that House and Senate negotiators agreed to earlier in the week. In a 393-8 vote, House members approved a comprehensive bill that includes the first substantive change […]

September 21, 2018

CEO Update | 25

House and Senate to Reconcile Opioid Legislation after Senate Passes Opioid Crisis Response Act The Senate this week passed the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, a substantially different opioid package from the SUPPORT Patients and Communities Act that the House passed in June. The Senate bill lacks several NABH-supported provisions, including one from the House-passed bill that would repeal the […]

September 14, 2018

CEO Update | 24

Senate Reschedules Opioid Legislation Vote for Monday, Sept. 17 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday delayed an expected vote on the Senate’s opioid package, citing the risk of Hurricane Florence as the reason why he canceled this week’s remaining votes. The Senate’s bill, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, is expected to pass. […]

September 7, 2018

CEO Update | 23

Senate Expected to Vote on Opioid Package Next Week The Senate has agreed on a bipartisan opioids package to address the nation’s public health crisis, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) office this week. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)—whose opioid-related bills are included in the package—said in a statement that a Senate floor vote […]

August 31, 2018

CEO Update | 22

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week announced the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model as part of the agency’s approach to addressing America’s opioid crisis.

August 24, 2018

CEO Update | 21

FDA Awards Contract to National Academies of Sciences to Develop Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. announced this week his agency has awarded a contract to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to help develop evidence-based guidelines for appropriate opioid analgesic prescribing for acute pain. In […]

August 17, 2018

CEO Update | 20

HHS Secretary Alex Azar said his agency wants to support mental health integration in schools after he applauded the state of Wisconsin’s efforts on a recent visit there.

August 10, 2018

CEO Update | 19

NABH on Thursday released Pathways to Care: Treating Opioid and Substance Use Disorders, a white paper that highlights America’s fragmented addiction treatment system and maps out ways to improve access to our nation’s quality behavioral healthcare services.

CEO Update | 18

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Medicare payment increase of 1.1 percent next year for inpatient psychiatric facilities in the final Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) rule the agency released on July 31.

CEO Update | 17

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a hospital-based partial hospitalization program (PHP) payment rate of $216.55 for 2019, up from the 2018 rate of $205.36, in the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System (OPPS/ASC) proposed rule the agency released on July 25.

CEO Update | 16

NABH this week sent comments and a series of recommendations to HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on how to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) effectively.

CEO Update | 15

The Justice Department this week made final a rule it proposed in April to improve the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) ability to control diverting dangerous drugs during the nation’s opioid crisis.

CEO Update | 14

NABH Launches Redesigned Website. We are pleased to announce NABH has launched a redesigned website at www.nabh.org!

CEO Update | 13

U.S. House Passes First Stand-Alone IMD Exclusion Repeal Bill

CEO Update | 12

U.S. House Passes Dozens of Opioid-Related Bills

CEO Update | 11

NABH Comments on Rise in U.S. Suicide Rates

CEO Update | 10

Illinois House of Representatives Passes Comprehensive Mental Health Parity Bill

CEO Update | 09

The Senate passed sweeping legislation this week to overhaul medical care options for the nation’s veterans.

CEO Update | 07

House Energy and Commerce Committee Approves 25 Opioid Bills

CEO Update | 06

NABH Focuses on IMD Repeal Exclusion During May’s Mental Health Month