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 number represents a nearly 30% increase from the 78,000 deaths in the prior year. Meanwhile, the NCHS data show that overdose deaths in the United States have more than doubled since 2015.
“This translates to an American perishing from a drug overdose death every five minutes,” Rahul Gupta, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) told National Public Radio in an
interview on Wednesday. “This is unacceptable, and it requires an unprecedented response.”
Also this week, Gupta’s office released a state
model law to help make access to the prescription naloxone consistent nationwide. The law offers a template of recommended legislative provisions that states can enact so they can offer access to the life-saving treatment.
The model law maps out ways to expand access to naloxone; addresses the need to provide uniformity in the ability of citizens to access antagonists such as naloxone; protects individuals administering opioid antagonists such as naloxone from unjust persecution; requires health insurance coverage of opioid antagonists, and more.
“No one should die from an overdose, and naloxone is one of the most effective tools we have to save lives,” Gupta said in ONDCP’s announcement. “But sadly, today, people with substance use disorders are overdosing and dying across the country because naloxone access depends a great deal on where you live.”
SAMHSA Extends Take-Home Methadone Flexibilities to OTPs for One Year
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on Thursday said it will extend for one year the methadone take-home flexibilities it provided to opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 and is “considering mechanisms to make this flexibility permanent.”
This flexibility has allowed OTPs to dispense 28 days of take-home methadone doses for stable patients and up to 14 days of take-home methadone medication to less stable patients, based on provider assessments.
SAMHSA’s announcement said it is extending the flexibilities for a year “effective upon the eventual expiration of the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency.
Click
here to read SAMHSA’s announcement.
Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 1 Ends Nov. 30
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) this week reminded providers that the 60-day grace period for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Period 1 ends Tuesday, Nov. 30.
Non-compliant providers still have time to complete their reporting requirements, HRSA noted, by submitting their report to the PRF reporting
portal by Nov. 30. Providers who fail to meet the deadline will be required to return their PRF payments by Dec. 30, 2021.
HRSA also provided a
Returning Funds Fact Sheet and additional information is available on the PRF Reporting Resources
webpage.
OSHA Suspends Enforcement of Vaccine Mandate for Businesses
The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it has suspended enforcement of its vaccine mandate for businesses, pending litigation.
Earlier this month OSHA released an
Emergency Temporary Standard that requires employers with 100 or more employees to develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy to minimize the risk of the deadly virus.
“While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation,” the agency announced on its
website.
NABH and Other Behavioral Health Groups Release Plan for 988 Crisis Hotline Response
NABH and 14 other behavioral health organizations and advocacy groups this week released
A Consensus Approach and Recommendations for the Creation of a Comprehensive Crisis Response System to help guide the mental health and substance crisis response mandated in the
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.
The 17-page roadmap outlines the scope of implementing the 988 Crisis Hotline that will begin operating in July 2022. It also highlights the following seven pillars for transforming mental health and substance use care: early identification and prevention, emergency and crisis response, equity and inclusion, integration and partnership, fair and equivalent coverage, standards for care, and workforce capacity.
“988 is not just a new number to call,” the guide states. “It is an opportunity to rethink how we approach mental health, substance use disorders, and suicide prevention in our communities.”
Reminder: NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Open to Members
NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is available 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 worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard for parity or the effects on patients.
This NABH member-only, survey-like tool allows users to add the name of a managed care organization, type of plan, level of care, type of care (mental health or substance use disorder), duration of approved treatment, duration of unapproved treatment, criteria used to deny a claim, and more.
The portal allows members to submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation. In time, the tool could be a valuable resource for the NABH team’s advocacy efforts.
Please e-mail
Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.
Fact of the Week
In fiscal year 2020, SAMHSA’s Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (
PATH) grantees enrolled 60,000 individuals and connected nearly 40,000 to community mental health services. Nearly 40% of these individuals reported co-occurring disorders and approximately 39% of these individuals experienced chronic homelessness.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.