HHS Announces $350 Million Initiative to Boost Covid-19 Vaccinations
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on Tuesday
announced a $350 million initiative for HRSA-supported health centers to increase Covid-19 vaccinations in their communities, with a specific focus on underserved populations.
The funding will help health centers provide Covid-19 vaccines through mobile, drive-up, walk-up, or community-based vaccination events, including working with community-based organizations and other efforts to increase administering Covid-19 vaccines.
According to HHS, health centers have administered more than 22 million vaccines in underserved communities nationwide, of which 70% to patients of racial and ethnic minorities.
Study Shows Shortage of Mental Healthcare Providers Associated with Higher Youth Suicide Rate
Counties with a shortage of mental healthcare providers were connected to higher rates of youth suicide, researchers reported this week in
JAMA Pediatrics.
The study noted that that while the findings are based on data from 2015 and 2016, the report comes at a time with the number of Americans living in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals is growing. Federal data show more than 150 million people live in such areas.
Meanwhile, researchers initially found that counties with provider shortages had a 41% higher youth suicide rate: 5.09 per 100,000 youths compared with 3.62 per 100,000 in counties without shortages. And when the researchers controlled for socioeconomic and other confounding factors—rural and high-poverty areas are known to have higher suicide rates—they still found that living in a county with a shortage of mental health workers was associated with a 16% higher youth suicide rate.
“Strategies to ameliorate mental health professional workforce shortages…. may be considered in comprehensive youth suicide prevention programs,” the authors concluded.
NABH and Other Groups Urge Congress to Support Medicare Mobile Crisis Intervention Benefit
NABH is one of more than 50 organizations that sent a
letter to House and Senate leaders urging the federal lawmakers to include a mental health crisis intervention benefit in the Medicare program in Congress’ end-of-year legislative package.
The organizations represent mental health and substance use treatment providers, crisis centers, family members, advocates, justice-focused organizations, and payers committed to strengthening access to mental healthcare and substance use treatment.
The letter explains that in the most recent discussion draft on
Integration, Coordination, and Access to Care, the Senate Finance Committee included a key provision of payment for mobile crisis response intervention services under the Physician Fee Schedule, which would add this benefit to the Medicare program. Mobile crisis teams include mental health professionals and individuals who provide peer-support services who are trained to de-escalate a situation and help the individual connect with services and supports.
“Since its launch in July, calls to the 988 Lifeline increased exponentially even more than predicted in SAMHSA’s December 2020 capacity report to Congress. Data from September 2022 vs. September 2021 show calls answered increased by 40%, chats answered increased by 218%, and texts answered increased by 1153%,” the letter said. “While one-time grant funds are helpful to initiate programs, they are not sufficient to sustain them, especially in light of increasing demand,” the letter continued. “In 2021, Congress provided incentives to states to increase Medicaid coverage of mobile crisis teams. Now, it should allow a mobile crisis intervention benefit in Medicare.”
Reminder: Please Submit Data to Enhance NABH’s Managed-Care Advocacy Efforts
Thank you to all members who have submitted data to NABH’s denial-of-care portal. Your data will help NABH highlight problems in the field related to health plan denials and timeliness.
Several policymaking entities are interested in these data, which could support advocacy for expanded access to care. For new participants, please e-mail
Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, for support.
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
Researchers have identified variations in 10 genes that significantly raise the risk for schizophrenia—information that could help identify new treatment targets, according to the National Institutes of Health, which funded one of the largest genetic
studies of its kind.
Happy Thanksgiving from NABH!
The NABH staff wishes its members and their families a very happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving!
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.