Biden Highlights Fentanyl, Mental Health Workforce Challenges in SOTU

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address Thursday night almost completely left out behavioral health and policies related to the industry. This is something of a departure for the country’s 46th president. In his first State of the Union in 2022, Biden laid out what he called a unity agenda. It included several behavioral […]

SAMHSA’s New OTP Rule Cements Greater Flexibility for Methadone Treatment

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has finalized an overhaul of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) that enshrines many flexibilities first implemented during the crisis response to the COVID pandemic. The final rule represents the first significant change to OTP regulations in over 20 years. In brief, the final rule intends to enable […]

US Senators Move to Eliminate In-Person Rule for Behavioral Health Telehealth Services

Lawmakers have reintroduced a bipartisan bill to make behavioral health delivered by telehealth more available to those on Medicare into Congress. Four sponsors have reintroduced the Telemental Health Care Access Act. The legislation would eliminate the in-person exam mandate to receive mental health services via telehealth. It undoes 2020 legislation that expanded telehealth access for […]

Behavioral Health Providers Face New Compliance Burdens With No Surprises Act

A law meant to protect patients from spurious hospital practices may create headaches for the behavioral health industry. The No Surprises Act adds additional administrative burdens to provider organizations to take on without a corresponding funding measures. The law, in part, requires health care organizations to provide good faith estimates to patients who choose to […]

Bipartisan Bill Would Authorize $30M for 988 Suicide Center Follow-Ups

A new bipartisan bill would connect people in crisis with check-in and outreach services to provide continuity of care.  Research shows that follow-ups can dramatically reduce the likelihood of a repeat suicide attempt.  Congressmen Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and David Trone (D-Md.) re-introduced the Continuity in Necessary Evaluative Crisis Treatment (CONNECT) Act to […]

Top Behavioral Health Trends for 2024

After a tumultuous 2023, 2024 may be a steadier year for the behavioral health industry. While behavioral health deals slipped in 2023, Behavioral Health Business expects M&A to pick up this year as interest rates fall and the economy stabilizes. Still, the M&A craze of 2021 is unlikely, and mega deals will be scarce. This […]

Cerebral Slammed for ‘Predatory’ Cancellation Tactics, Charging for Ghost Services

More than 16,000 New Yorkers will receive payouts after the New York Attorney General collected more than $740,000 from unicorn mental health company Cerebral. Cerebral, the cash-flush mental health company with a tarnished reputation, paid out $200,000 in penalties and $540,162 in restitution for maintaining a “long and burdensome” cancellation process that often resulted in […]

Court Sets New Parity Standard; United Behavioral Appeals to Supreme Court

The fight for behavioral health parity has momentum heading into 2024 following three major decisions at the appellate level. And the battle may extend to the U.S. Supreme Court following an appeal by United Behavioral Health. Three cases in this slice of the appeals court address how health plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income […]

Bipartisan Bill Would Expand Behavioral Telehealth Services For Rural Americans

Rural residents often face obstacles in finding health care resources. Many access mental health care via their primary care providers rather than behavioral health clinicians.  A new bipartisan bill, titled the Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act, aims to increase rural residents’ access to virtual mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services by authorizing […]