"The Business" of Behavioral Healthcare

IOM Report on Living Well with Chronic Conditions Highlights Importance of Behavioral Health

The IOM released a new report that focuses with lazer precision on the bulk of the costs in our so-called cost curve: chronic conditions. The report exposes the importance of tackling multiple or comorbid chronic conditions and illustrates with tremendous clarity the crucial role of social/cultural factors, behavior and behavioral health, family and physical [...]

Behavioral Health Providers’ Red Flag: AMA asks (again) that HHS Pull the Plug on ICD-10 Implementation in 2013

Citing significant financial and administrative burdens, the AMA has asked Secretary Sebelius to postpone and streamline the 2013 mandated conversion to ICD-10. The AMA is clear that there are a wide range of health information technology initiatives and regulations they have to adopt and comply with right now and contends that converting from the [...]

32 Leading health care providers announced as Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2011 Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343 Affordable Care Act helps 32 health systems improve care for patients, saving up to $1.1 billion

Leading health care providers will be Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations

Thirty-two leading health care organizations from across the country will participate in a new Pioneer [...]

HHS to Give States More Flexibility to Implement Health Reform – Impact Felt Among Essential Health Benefits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 16, 2011

Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343 Approach will help ensure consumers have quality, affordable coverage starting in 2014

The Department of Health and Human Services today released a bulletin outlining proposed policies that will give states more flexibility and freedom to implement the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable [...]

GAO Finds Employers’ Insurance Coverage Enhanced by MHPAEA

GAO-12-63 November 30, 2011 Full Report PDF

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) requires that employers who offer health insurance coverage for mental health conditions and substance use disorders (MH/SU) provide coverage that is no more restrictive than that offered for medical and surgical [...]

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 [...]

Supreme Court to Hear Health Care Reform in Spring

In what is very likely good news for the future of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court announced today that it will hear arguments and weigh in on the constitutionality of Health Care Reform. At issue is the mandate that individuals be insured and whether or not the Federal government can require such [...]

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. [...]

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Unveils Action Plan To Improve Healthcare Quality And Rein In Rising Healthcare Costs

Comprehensive new proposal will save federal government more than $300 billion

October 4, 2011

Contact: Kelly Miller (Media Inquiries Only) 202.626.4825

WASHINGTON – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) today released a comprehensive, interconnected action plan that fundamentally transforms the healthcare system, moving it away from a fee-for-service model to a patient-centered model. [...]

New Health Care Cost Institute to Transform the Study of U.S. Health Care Spending

First-ever Collection of Data from Leading Private Sector Insurers will Enable Broadest View of Health Care Cost Drivers and Trends

(September 20, 2011) – The Health Care Cost Institute, an unprecedented health research initiative launched today, will allow researchers and policymakers access to a comprehensive collection of health plan and government payer [...]

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