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CEO Update | 30

President Signs H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act This week President Trump signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6), which includes the first significant change to the Medicaid program’s Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion since 1972. Other NABH priorities are part of the new law, including a provision that would consider opioid treatment programs as eligible providers under Medicare, as well as a measure that would allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to test behavioral healthcare information technology (BHIT). Hospitals, community mental health centers, and SUD providers would all be eligible to participate in the BHIT test. Report on State Medicaid Changes, Including IMD The results from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s “50-State Medicaid Budget Survey” were released this week. The survey looks at the changes taking place in Medicaid programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of note in the report are the changes occurring to the IMD exclusion: “The 2016 Medicaid MCO rule allows states to use “in lieu of” authority to cover services for adults who receive inpatient psychiatric or SUD treatment services in an IMD for no more than 15 days in a month. In this survey, 28 of the 39 MCO states reported that they are using this authority for both FYs 2018 and 2019, and three states reported plans to begin using this authority in FY 2019.”   CMS Model Addresses Opioid Misuse Among Expectant and New Mothers The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model to better align and coordinate care of pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). The primary goals of the model are to: improve quality of care and reduce expenditures for pregnant and postpartum women with OUD as well as their infants; increase access to treatment, service-delivery capacity, and infrastructure based on state-specific needs; and create sustainable coverage and payment strategies that support ongoing coordination and integration of care. The CMS Innovation Center will establish 12 cooperative agreements with states and the MOM model will serve pregnant Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries with OUD who have elected to participate.   Former ONDCP Director Outlines Improvements to the Drug War In the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Forum Michael Botticelli, former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, along with Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, and Gil Kerlikowske, MA discuss a “smarter war on drugs.” Their approach includes “having law enforcement officials collaborate more closely with health professionals to provide care and treatment.” The short piece discusses 4 specific areas where this collaboration should occur: drug courts, Naloxone use, diversion from arrest and treatment referral, and post-overdose outreach.   Behavioral Health Care Report from AHA and HRET The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) released a report this week titled Delivering High Quality Behavioral Health Care: Practices and Innovations from Leading Organizations. The report explores the current state of the behavioral health field and highlights practices that organizations have employed to provide high-quality care. A technical expert panel which contributed to the report included NABH members and several NABH facilities were included in the report.   Deadline: NQF Fall 2018 Measure Submission The NQF measure submission deadlines for the Fall 2018 review cycle are approaching. This year the Behavioral Health and Substance Use deadline will be November 1, 2018 at 6:00pm ET. Click here to find more information on submitting measures to NQF and for reference information on the submission requirements and the measure steward agreement, please click here.   PLACE YOUR AD IN THE 2019 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY TO DRAW YEAR-ROUND ATTENTION. Each year, NABH updates and publishes the NABH Membership Directory to help both consumers and providers find and access behavioral health services nationwide. The directory, which will be published in fall 2018, lists NABH member organizations by system/facility, geographically, and alphabetically. The directory is widely distributed to state hospital associations, National Alliance on Mental Illness state affiliates, and NABH members. Now is the opportunity to highlight your organization’s specialized services through an ad in the 2019 edition.  Ads are due November 9. Download an advertising rate card or email maria@nabh.org. (NABH Contact: Maria Merlie) For questions or comments about CEO Update on Oct. 26, please contact Scott Dziengelski.