Funding and Financing | Behavioral Health Today

Additional Coverage for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Won’t Hurt Employers, According to New Thomson Reuters Research

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Make up only 2.2% of Employer Health Spending

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is unlikely to have a large effect on the growth rate of employer healthcare expenditures, according to two new studies conducted by researchers [...]

Health Insurance Exchange Final Rule: Impact on Behavioral Health

On March 12, HHS published a final rule on Affordable Health Insurance Exchanges. The Exchange final rule includes standards for:

The establishment and operation of an Exchange Health insurance plans that participate in an Exchange Determinations of an individual’s eligibility to enroll in Exchange health plans and in insurance affordability programs Enrollment in health [...]

Affordable Care Act Demonstration to Expand Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care

New demonstration program to help States to improve the quality of care for patients with psychiatric emergency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: CMS Media Relations Group

March 13, 2012 (202) 690-6145

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that 11 States and the District of Columbia will participate in [...]

Preserving the Safety Net: Behavioral Health Field Can Learn From Commonwealth Fund Report and Recommendations

The Commonwealth Fund released a report of recommendations aimed at preserving the fragile safety net. Specifically, the report addresses safety net hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of the indigent and uninsured populations. As the uninsured become insured (primarily via Medicaid expansion and health insurance exchanges) these facilities – like much of the mental health [...]

Aetna Foundation Commits $750,000 For Studies To Improve Coordination Of Health Care

Research Aimed at Improving Patient Health, Lowering Costs and Reducing Hospital Readmission Rates

HARTFORD, Conn., March 07, 2012 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation have awarded grants totaling $750,000 for three separate studies examining the impact on patient health of better communication among health care providers and stronger coordination of health [...]

CMS Eases ICD-10 Deadline by 90 Days…many believe that may not be enough

CMS STATEMENT

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of E-Health Standards and Services Announces 90-Day Period of Enforcement Discretion for Compliance with New HIPAA Transaction Standards

Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of E-Health Standards and Services (OESS) announced that it would not initiate enforcement [...]

Medicare Covers Screening and Counseling for Alcohol Misuse and Screening for Depression

The new coverage policies add new preventive services for Medicare beneficiaries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 14, 2011 Contact: CMS Media Relations Group (202) 690-6145

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced two new national coverage determinations that cover alcohol misuse screening and behavioral counseling for Medicare beneficiaries as well as screening for depression. [...]

SAMHSA awards up to $25 million to expand use of health information technology

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today it is awarding up to 29 new grants, totaling up to $25 million over three years, to expand use of health information technology to increase access to behavioral health services.

This program will leverage technology to improve access and coordination of the [...]

Oregon’s Mental Health Parity Law Improves Coverage at Minimal Cost

Study that appears in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that state’s experience may presage outcomes of new federal law By: Oregon Health & Science University

September 12, 2011 – Oregon’s mental health parity law, which prohibits commercial health plans from imposing limits on mental health and substance abuse services that are not also [...]

CMS Announces Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative

The Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative is a new CMS-led, multi-payer initiative fostering collaboration between public and private health care payers to strengthen primary care for all Americans. Primary care is critical to promoting health, improving care, and reducing overall system costs, but it has been historically under-funded and under-valued in the United [...]

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