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 Lives Through Increased Support for Mental—and Behavioral-Health Needs executive order notes that the working group’s efforts will consider the mental and behavioral health conditions of the vulnerable populations that the pandemic has affected, including minorities, seniors, veterans, small business owners, children, individuals potentially affected by domestic violence or physical abuse, persons living with disabilities, and individuals with substance use disorder (SUD).
“We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has created or exacerbated serious behavioral health challenges for many Americans, both adding new stresses and disrupting access to treatment,” U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. “The president’s executive order is a welcome opportunity to increase efforts to address the mental health effects of the pandemic, which have already included hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and historic flexibilities to ensure Americans can continue to receive treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders.”
Azar will co-chair the new working group with Brooke Rollins, acting director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council.
U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee Examines Covid-19’s Toll on Americans’ Mental Health
The United States Congress Joint Economic Committee has released a
report that examines how Covid-19’s health and economic repercussions have led to “an unprecedented mental health crisis” in America.
The 13-page report summarizes earlier surveys and studies that have found two-thirds of Americans fear that they or their loved ones will be exposed to the virus; more than 12 million Americans are unemployed, and, since February, more than 5 million have given up looking for work; and that nearly one-third of adult Americans are having trouble paying for typical household expenses.
“There is yet no clear end in sight for the coronavirus pandemic, which will continue to have devastating effects on public health and on the economy,” the report said. “The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation projects more than 360,000 deaths by the end of 2020 under current circumstances, and upward of 430,000 if mandates continue to be eased,” it continued. “The Federal Reserve expects the unemployment rate to remain above pre-pandemic levels until at least the end of 2021. These intense stresses likely will have a growing and lasting impact on Americans’ mental health.
CMS Corrects Announcement to Say Providers Cannot Use PRF When Repaying Medicare Loans
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) corrected a misstatement in its Oct. 8 news release to say the nation’s healthcare providers and suppliers cannot use Provider Relief Funds (PRF) to repay Medicare loans the agency has made during the Covid-19 public health emergency.
The correction first appeared in an
FAQ on Oct. 9. CMS subsequently corrected its original
release.
AAAP Releases Buprenorphine Provider Survey Report to Inform Policymakers
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) this week released the findings from a new
survey that found 80% of X-waivered physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) want telehealth options to continue after the Covid-19 public health emergency. The X-waiver permits office-based clinicians to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) for OUD patients.
The AAAP led the project with help from other organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University, and the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine.
According to the survey, 78% of respondents said the Covid pandemic has caused them to put on hold or reduce in-person visits. Meanwhile, 75% of physicians and other healthcare professionals said they have used virtual visits to help maintain medication to treat OUD, and 48% reported they used telehealth to initiate medication to help treat OUD.
“During the pandemic, physicians and other health care professionals have adapted to quickly provide high-quality, evidence-based care, but this was only possible due to new flexibilities in telehealth rules,” the survey said.
National Addiction Treatment Week Begins Monday, Oct. 19
Monday kicks off National Addiction Treatment Week to build awareness that addiction is a disease, evidence-based treatment is available, and recovery is possible. The week is also meant to encourage people to enter the field of addiction treatment.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) launched National Addiction Treatment Week three years ago with partner organizations. Partners include the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the American Medical Association, and the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Click
here for ASAM’s schedule of the week and toolkit.
Separately, ASAM released an updated cannabis policy
statement on Oct. 10.
Please Complete the 2020 NABH Annual Survey!
The 2020 NABH Annual Survey will close on
Saturday, Oct. 31.
NABH members should have received personalized links to the survey from consulting firm Dobson DaVanzo. If you have not received a link, please click
here and follow the instructions to submit your survey today. Your feedback will help inform and improve NABH’s advocacy efforts.
Thank you for your time!
Fact of the Week
The rate of domestic
violence that women with serious mental illness experience throughout their adulthood was more than double than that of the general population: 69% versus 33%. Men with serious mental illness showed a similar trend when compared with the general population: 49% versus 17%, respectively.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.