NABH 2023 Board Position Nominations Due Today!
The deadline to submit nominations for the 2023 NABH Board Chair-Elect and two available NABH Board seats is today, Friday, Oct. 14.
The NABH Selection Committee is seeking senior managers who represent the association’s diverse membership related to levels of care, organizational structures, and size.
Please download a
nomination form to recommend individuals for the single-slate ballot in 2023.
Also, please attach a curriculum vitae (CV) for every individual you recommend. This will help the Selection Committee in its deliberations. All NABH members are welcome to suggest themselves.
Please return this form and candidates’ curricula vitae
by Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, to
maria@nabh.org.
Becerra Extends Covid-19 PHE for Another 90 Days
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday
renewed the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE) for an additional 90 days.
Former HHS Secretary Alex Azar declared the Covid-19 PHE for the first time in January 2020 Since then, it has been renewed—either by Azar or Becerra— 10 times, making this week’s announcement the 11
th renewal.
Bipartisan Policy Center Recommends Extending Medicare Telehealth Benefits for Two Years Post Pandemic
Congress and the Biden administration should extend most of the Medicare program’s telehealth flexibilities for beneficiaries for two years after the Covid-19 pandemic ends and then evaluate the effects, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) recommended in a report released this week. And that’s for a start.
The report—totaling more than 80 pages—also concluded that researchers should evaluate the benefits of hybrid (both in-person and virtual) care models for primary and specialty care, including for which conditions and specialties it is most effective; further evaluate full telehealth flexibilities in the context of value-based payment models; and assess rigorously the quality of audio-only care.
“Throughout this report, BPC recommends targeted adjustments to the current telehealth flexibilities; all recommended changes are in response to emerging evidence on benefits versus risks and to stakeholder concerns,” the researchers noted. “This approach would enable beneficiaries to maintain their access to telehealth services while minimizing risks to patients and the Medicare program, as well as provide time for policymakers to continue to review and assess the evidence.”
ONDCP to Host Webinar About Low-Threshold Buprenorphine on Monday, Oct. 17
The White Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) will host a webinar on Monday, Oct. 17 to examine low-threshold buprenorphine programs, which seek to reduce barriers that often limit access or reduce retention in care.
ONDCP Director Rahul Gupta, M.D. will welcome participants to the webinar, which will feature evidence from experts in the field and include a panel discussion about policy and practice.
The webinar will be held from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. ET. Click
here to register.
Register Today for Webinar on CPT Coding and Billing Changes for Mental Health in 2023
The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association will host a webinar about what to expect in CPT coding and billing changes for mental health in 2023 on Thursday, Oct. 27.
Stephen Gillaspy, Ph.D., senior director of health and healthcare financing at the American Psychological Association, will lead the presentation about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed changes outlined in the agency’s 2023 physician fee schedule proposed
rule.
The webinar will focus on new CPT codes and changes to existing codes, expanding the outpatient Evaluation and Management (E/M) documentation guidelines to the facility setting, and other CMS proposals, such as “incident to” billing that, if implemented, will have a significant effect on mental and behavioral clinicians beginning Jan. 1, 2023.
The hourlong webinar will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click
here to register.
JAMA Pediatrics Examines Continued Rise of Unintentional Ingestion of Edible Cannabis in Toddlers
An
analysis in
JAMA Pediatrics this week concluded that immediate action should be taken to alter the current trajectory of unintentional pediatric ingestion of edible cannabis products.
The article noted that cannabis is the third most used psychoactive substance worldwide, with use continuously rising in the U.S. adult population. Meanwhile, cannabis products are used commonly and stored in homes in which children are present and education from healthcare professionals about safe storage is lacking, the article continued. Consequently, children are at risk of being drawn to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound of marijuana)-infused products that resemble their favorite snacks or candy.
“Children with THC intoxication can present with neurologic impairment, including lethargy, ataxia, tachycardia, mydriasis, seizures, altered mental status, and hypotonia,” the article said. “However, given the unpredictability of the dose ingested, patient presentation can vary. Altered mental status in children results in broad differential diagnoses ranging from traumatic to infectious causes.”
Enhanced NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Now Available
NABH recently made enhancements to its Denial-of-Care Portal that are intended to make the portal easier for members to use.
A year ago, NABH developed the Denial-of-Care Portal to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard to parity or the effects on patients. Now the association has updated this resource to make it more user-friendly for members and also more aligned with what regulators need to identify parity violations.
The updated portal includes fewer questions, which will require less time for members to complete. In addition, all questions are now optional. NABH hopes this will make it more likely for members to share the data they have. Lastly, NABH has added a checklist of “red flags” that were included in the
2022 MHPAEA Report to Congress from the U.S. Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury Departments in January.
Please e-mail
Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.
Save the Date for the NABH 2023 Annual Meeting!
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us in Washington, DC from
June 12-14, 2023 for next year’s NABH Annual Meeting!
Fact of the Week
A 2016 parent survey shows 64% of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) had at least one other mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
reports. October is ADHD Awareness Month. Help the National Institute of Mental Health raise awareness by sharing these
resources.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.
