CEO Update | 10
Illinois House of Representatives Passes Comprehensive Mental Health Parity Bill
The Illinois House of Representatives this week passed mental health parity legislation that mental health advocacy organization the Kennedy Forum has described as the “strongest mental health parity law in the nation.”
In a vote of 106-9, Illinois’ House members approved Senate Bill 1707, which, along with other provisions, addresses the opioid crisis by expanding access to addiction treatment; prohibits prior authorization and step-therapy requirements for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications to treat substance use disorders; requires health plans to submit parity compliance analyses to the Illinois Department of Insurance and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services that comply with federal parity rules; and also requires plans and managed care organizations to make parity compliance information available to those departments and to individuals through a public website.
An announcement from the Kennedy Forum—founded by behavioral healthcare champion and former U.S. Representative (D-R.I.) Patrick Kennedy—noted that this bill “represents a major milestone, not just for Illinois, but for the country as a whole.”
The Joint Commission to Change How it Cites Ligature/Self-Harm Deficiencies in July
The Joint Commission will start to cite ligature/self-harm deficiencies under Patient’s Rights of Condition of Participation (CoP) 482.13 on July 1.
Previously, Joint Commission surveyors cited these deficiencies under Physical Environmental CoP 482.41 and under the Joint Commission’s Environment of Care (EC) standard EC.02.06.01, element of performance 1. The Joint Commission noted that it decided to make the change after consulting with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Click here for additional information about the change.
Updated Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting Program Resources Now Available
Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Inpatient Value, Incentives and Quality Reporting (VIQR) support contractor announced updates to two Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting (IPFQR) resources.
The IPFQR Program Manual provides a comprehensive overview of the IPFQR program and measure specifications. It also offers detailed instructions to register on the QualityNet Secure Portal, submit data using the web-based measures application, and understand IPFQR Program Preview Report processes.
Separately, the IPFQR Program Paper Tools provide an optional, informal abstraction mechanism to help IPFs collect data for the IPFQR program.
These resources are located on the QualityNet website’s IPFQR Program Resources page.
CDC Reports on Outbreak of Life-threatening Coagulopathy Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoids Use
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted information for clinicians following a multi-state outbreak of coagulopathy from exposure to synthetic cannabinoid products that has resulted in more than 200 cases and five deaths.
Synthetic cannabinoids (sometimes referred to as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal weed, K2, and Spice) are types of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) that are misused for recreational purposes.
In March, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported cases of unexplained bleeding among patients who reported using synthetic cannabinoids. Subsequent testing of drug and biological samples from case-patients detected brodifacoum, a long-acting vitamin K-depending antagonist that is used as a rodenticide, the CDC reported.
The Atlanta-based agency noted that hundreds of different synthetic cannabinoid chemicals are manufactured and sold, and that new ones with unknown health risks become available every year.
Based on its findings, the CDC posted recommendations for healthcare providers, starting with a suggestion to “maintain a high index of suspicion for vitamin K-dependent antagonist coagulopathy in patients with a history or suspicion of using synthetic cannabinoids” and concluding with a recommendation to contact the local poison control center (800.222.1222) for questions about diagnostic testing and managing these patients.
Speciality providers of substance use and mental health services could alert patient populations to the potential adverse health risks of current batches of NPS, as patients may not be aware of the contents of the drugs they are using.
FDA’s Next Priority: Proactive Pharmacovigilance
The FDA has invested new resources to develop the capacity to monitor emerging trends in the addiction landscape to help the agency intervene more quickly and protect the public from related risks, physician leaders at the FDA wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine this week.
According to the article from the FDA’s Douglas Throckmorton, M.D., Scott Gottlieb, M.D., and Janet Woodstock, M.D., the agency has taken steps to address the opioid crisis, such as launching efforts to inform more appropriate prescribing and developing new therapeutics that can help patients in pain.
Now the agency will focus on “proactive pharmacovigilance” so it can intervene more quickly when it anticipates changes in drug use and misuse.
“The FDA has invested new resources in developing these capabilities,” the authors wrote, “including convening a group of professionals to evaluate epidemiologic signals that may presage new usage trends.”
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Administrators Offer Recommendations in PEW Study
A new study from the PEW Charitable Trusts highlights recommendations from Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) administrators to enhance these programs, including the ability to sort data and better collaboration among stakeholders at the state level.
PDMPs are electronic databases that allow healthcare professionals to view their patients’ controlled-substance prescription histories to better inform prescribing, dispensing and treatment decisions, the study noted. Ultimately, the programs can help reduce the misuse and diversion of prescription opioids and other controlled substances.
“Although several important concerns were identified, the PDMP administrators encouraged enhancements such as the ability to sort data; maps that show distances between patients, prescribers, and pharmacies; and graphical displays of patients’ controlled-substance prescription use,” the study said. “Moving forward, states should collaborate with all stakeholders in an interdisciplinary way to determine optimal risk indicators and thresholds that are reported to prescribers.”
SAMHSA to Host Webinars on Peer Specialists, Mobile Apps and Lived Experience
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will host three webinars on a range of behavioral healthcare topics next week.
On June 5, SAMHSA will host “Peer Specialists and Police as Partners Preventing Behavioral Health Crisis” from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
Also that day, the agency will host a webinar from noon until 1 p.m. ET to review the current state of mental health apps as they related to evidence-based treatment strategies. Click here to register.
Later in the week, SAMHSA will co-host “Enhancing Recovery Through Lived Experience” with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The June 7 webinar from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. ET will explore the lived-experience approach that drives NAMI’s peer and family delivered education, support and presentation programs. Click here to register.
NABH to Host Hot Topics Call on Monday, June 4
Please join the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) team for a members-only Hot Topics call on Monday, June 4 at 4 p.m. ET to learn about some recent developments and upcoming activities at NABH.
In this hourlong call, NABH President and CEO Mark Covall and his team will provide a series of updates and also answer questions from NABH members. The call will follow this brief agenda:
- NABH Rebrand: The association rebranded to the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare from the former National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) on March 19. If you were unable to attend the 2018 NABH Annual Meeting, please be sure to watch our brief video that we showed to kick off the meeting. Learn more about our rebranding, social media channels, and exciting changes ahead during this call.
- Mental Health Month Recap: The country has recognized May as Mental Health Month since 1949. Learn how NABH commemorated Mental Health Month in 2018 with its first paid social media campaign, which focused on repealing the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion in Medicaid.
- Federal Policy Update: Congress continues to pay close attention to the nation’s deadly opioid crisis. Learn how the NABH team has worked with committees in both chambers of Congress to address this issue. Also learn about some important regulatory updates related to the inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system (IPF PPS).