After years of pressure from the behavioral health industry, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making it easier for physicians to prescribe a popular medication-assisted treatment (MAT) drug for opioid use disorder (OUD). The department is doing that by removing some certification requirements that physicians were previously required to meet before […]
Category: Regulation
As the behavioral health industry draws more government funding, it’s also getting newfound scrutiny from state and federal regulators. Enforcement actions against behavioral providers are on the rise, especially for those organizations that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. Consequently, compliance planning is more important than ever — and so is identifying warning signs that suggest […]
The former founder and CEO of a New York-based addiction treatment facility has agreed to reimburse the state Medicaid program $3 million, according to Attorney General Letitia James. The agreement comes after Stephen Yohay admitted to taking part in a false Medicaid billing scheme, according to a press release announcing the news. The fraud occurred […]
President Donald Trump has signed a $2.3 trillion stimulus bill into law. Signed Dec. 27, the legislation includes billions in behavioral health funding. The relief package includes an additional $4.25 billion in funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on top of regular fiscal year 2021 spending. That funding will be […]
Congress has passed a new $2.3 trillion stimulus bill, which includes billions in funding for behavioral health programs and initiatives. The legislation, which passed Monday night, is now headed to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law. The new relief package includes $4.25 billion in funding for the Substance Abuse and […]
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed new legislation that would provide more aid and resources for care coordination efforts between community mental health and addiction treatment centers and local law enforcement agencies. The move comes about a month after the Senate passed the bill, called the Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act. Now, the […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has increased the amount of money it’s giving to health care organizations as part of its third phase of distributions from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). It will send $24.5 billion to 70,000 providers, $4.5 billion more than the department originally planned to distribute in this […]
Two new final rules from the federal government could help behavioral health organizations pursue value-based care agreements and partner with hospitals and health systems down the line. The rules in question modernize the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the Physician Self-Referral Law, also known as Stark Law. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of […]
The nation is finally starting to realize the importance of behavioral health care. As a result, providers have more reimbursement options than ever. Commercial payers have become a bigger part of the picture thanks to parity requirements, and Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement opportunities continue to grow. But with more money comes more problems, especially on […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put out its initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution recommendations. While the guidelines are good news for most health care workers, it’s unclear what they mean for behavioral health care providers. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted on Tuesday to make the recommendations, which will guide […]
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