NABH and Other Healthcare Groups Request Review of Three-Judge Panel’s Ruling in Wit v. UBH
NABH last week requested that the full 9
th 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.
NABH filed an amicus brief to request a “rehearing en banc.” If granted, a rehearing could vacate the appellate panel’s deeply flawed ruling. The American Hospital Association, American Psychological Association, American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, California Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and REDC added their organization names to the amicus brief.
“Unfortunately, the likely consequence of the panel decision is that the gains achieved as a result of the district court’s rulings will be wiped out as even further restrictions are placed on the care patients receive for treatment of mental illness,” the amicus brief states. “Instead of medical necessity determinations based on GASC developed by non-profit expert bodies, the decision-making power will be left to the discretion of for-profit insurers such as UBH.”
Click
here to read the news release that NABH distributed on Monday, May 16.
SAMHSA Introduces First ‘Behavioral Health Recovery Innovation Challenge’
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week introduced its first “Behavioral Health Recovery Challenge” to identify innovations that peer-run or community-based organizations—and entities that partner with them, including hospitals and health systems—have developed to advance recovery.
SAMHSA defines recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.”
SAMHSA’s announcement noted that the agency encourages participants to share details about the practices they use to advance recovery and also demonstrate how these practices have: 1) expanded on SAMHSA’s definition of recovery, or 2) helped them overcome challenges in incorporating recovery into their behavioral health services or systems.
“By using this vehicle, we hope to gain a better understanding of effective and innovative recovery practices from a very diverse field,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., said in an announcement. Delphin-Rittmon also leads SAMHSA. “We aim to take what works for a small group and scale up to a larger population.”
Click
here to learn more from SAMHSA’s Recovery Innovation Challenge webpage.
SAMHSA Announces Funding Opportunity to Establish Center of Excellence on Social Media and Wellbeing
SAMHSA this week announced a funding opportunity that will award $2 million per year up to five years to establish a national Center of Excellence (CoE) that will develop and disseminate information, guidance, and training on the effects of children and youth’s social media use, including both its risks and benefits.
SAMHSA’s grant announcement noted that the new CoE will pay particular attention to the potential risks social media platforms pose to the mental health of children and youth, as well as the clinical and societal interventions that could be used to address those risks.
Eligible applicants include states, political divisions of states, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, health facilities, programs operated by or in accordance with a grant contract with the Indian Health Service, or other public of private, not-for-profit entities.
The deadline to apply is Monday, July 18. Click
here to learn more.
SAMHSA Announces $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Program
SAMHSA this week said the agency’s State Opioid Response Program grant will fund up to $1,439,500,000 in fiscal year 2022 to 59 states and territories, including a set-aside for states with the highest opioid use disorder-related mortality rates. Grant funds may be used on contingency management to treat stimulant use disorder.
In announcement about the grant funding, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FACP said that fewer than one out of 10 people in the United States who need addiction care receive it.
“That is why President Biden released a National Drug Control Strategy to beat the overdose epidemic by going after its drivers: untreated addiction and drug trafficking,” Gupta said in the announcement. “Today we are delivering on key parts of our Strategy through this new funding, which will expand access to treatment for substance use disorder and prevent overdoses, while we also work to reduce the supply of illicit drugs in our communities and dismantle drug trafficking.”
The use of contingency management for the treatment off stimulant use disorder is a permitted use of grant funds. The application process opened on Thursday, May 19 and will remain open through Monday, July 18. Click
here to learn more.
NABH Working to Enhance Denial-of-Care Portal
NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is temporarily unavailable as the association works to enhance features of this member-only resource.
NABH developed the portal so members could submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation and is intended to help the association in its advocacy efforts with policymakers and regulators.
NABH will keep members apprised of when the updated portal is ready to use.
NABH 2022 Annual Meeting Hotel Reservation Cutoff Date Extended Until June 1
The Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC has extended the hotel reservation cutoff date for the 2022 NABH Annual Meeting to
Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Please be sure to
reserve your hotel room today!
And please visit our Annual Meeting webpage to
register for the meeting, if you have not done so yet. We look forward to seeing you in Washington!
Fact of the Week
In a recent Cigna
survey of 1,000 parents, 80% said their children are struggling with mental health, and nearly one-fifth (18%) say their child’s needs are negatively affecting their job performance and productivity.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond