CEO Update 102
Healthcare Providers Must Act by June 3 to Receive Additional Relief Fund Payment
Eligible healthcare providers have until Wednesday, June 3 to submit their revenue information and accept all terms and conditions to receive an additional payment from the Provider Relief Fund’s $50 billion general distribution, HHS said this week.
HHS’ notice said all providers who automatically received an additional general distribution payment before Friday, April 24 must provide HHS with “an accounting of their annual revenues by submitting tax forms or financial statements.” Providers must also agree to program terms and conditions if they want to keep the funds.
The CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act provide $175 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Previously HHS said $50 billion of the Provider Relief Fund was allocated for general distribution to facilities and providers who bill Medicare and were affected by Covid-19, based on providers’ net revenue. Of that funding, $30 billion was distributed immediately, proportionate to providers’ share of Medicare fee-for-services reimbursements in 2019. Then HHS began distributing an additional $20 billion on April 24.
According to HHS, every healthcare provider who has provided treatment for uninsured Covid-19 patients on or after Feb. 4 can request claims reimbursement through HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration portal and will be reimbursed at Medicare rates, subject to available funding.
The required steps include enrolling as a provider participant, checking patient eligibility and benefits, submitting patient information, submitting claims, and receiving payment via direct deposit.
Click here for more information.
GAO Recommends CMS Include Detailed Information About SUD Coverage in “Medicare & You”
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommends the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) include “explicit information” on the services Medicare covers for beneficiaries with substance use disorders (SUDs) in the agency’s Medicare & You publication.
The GAO’s analysis of Medicare claims data in 2018 shows that almost 5 million beneficiaries used services for behavioral health services, which represented about 14% of the more than 36 million fee-for-services Medicare beneficiaries. About 96% of all behavioral health services accessed in 2018 (the year for which the latest data are available) were for a primary diagnosis in one of the following five behavioral health disorder categories: mood disorders (42%), anxiety and stress-related disorders (22%), schizophrenia and other non-mood, psychotic disorders (15%), disorders due to known physiological conditions (10%), and SUDs (7%).
For this study, researchers also examined how CMS provides information to Medicare beneficiaries about coverage for behavioral health services. In doing so, they learned CMS mails Medicare & You—the most widely disseminated source of information on Medicare benefits—to all Medicare beneficiaries every year.
“GAO reviewed the fall 2019 and January 2020 editions of Medicare & You,” the study noted. “While the January 2020 edition describes a new coverage benefit for beneficiaries with opioid use disorders, neither edition includes an explicit and broader description of the covered services available for substance use disorders,” it continued. “Both HHS and CMS have stated that addressing substance use disorders is a top priority. Given that coverage for substance use disorders is not explicitly outlined in Medicare’s most widely disseminated communication, Medicare beneficiaries may be unaware of this coverage and may not seek needed treatment as a result.”
This finding led the GAO to recommend that CMS include “explicit information” on SUD coverage. “HHS reviewed a draft of this report,” the GAO study said, “and concurred with the recommendation.”
Mental Health Survey Analysis Shows How People Worldwide Respond to Depression Treatment
A new JAMA study shows that of more than 80,000 respondents surveyed in 16 countries, 68.2% of adults with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder obtained treatment they considered helpful. The findings showed that other patients stopped seeking treatment after early unhelpful treatment.
Meanwhile, the findings showed that most patients (93.9%) were helped if they persisted through 10 treatment professionals, but only 21.5% of patients were that persistent. This led researchers to conclude “many more patients with major depressive disorder might obtain helpful treatment if they persist after early unhelpful treatment.”
SAMHSA Covid-19 Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention Grant Applications Due Today
The deadline to apply for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Covid-19 Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention (Covid-19 ERSP) grants is today, Friday, May 22.
The agency said it plans to issue 50 Covid-19 ERSP grants of up to $800,000 per year for 16 months for the program that is meant to support states and communities to prevent suicide and suicide attempts among adults 25 and older during the pandemic.
SAMHSA’s announcement noted there are currently 57.8 million Americans living with mental and/or substance use disorders and suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.
“The current national Covid-19 crisis will certainly contribute to the growth in the number of Americans needing urgent care to address mental health needs, including suicidality,” the announcement said. “Americans across the country will struggle with increases in depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, isolation, loss of employment, financial instability and other challenges, which can lead to suicide and suicide attempts.”
Click here to for the application materials.
Join the Conversation!
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Follow NABH on Twitter and LinkedIn During Mental Health Month
This Mental Health Month, please remember to follow NABH on Twitter @NABHBehavioral and on LinkedIn at the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare to learn what NABH members and other organizations are doing during the annual national observance.
Fact of the Week
Among all adult discharges from opioid addiction treatment in the period 2015–17, 10.4% used both self-help groups and medications.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.