The relaxation of federal medication-assisted treatment (MAT) regulations did not immediately result in more patients accessing care. However, the numbers of patients accessing naltrexone prescriptions and physicians cleared to prescribe buprenorphine have increased, according to an update and study released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In April 2021, HHS removed […]
Category: Regulation
Key U.S. senators put forward a tentative plan aimed at bolstering behavioral health parity in Medicare and Medicaid. On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee released a discussion draft bill on behavioral health parity in Medicare and Medicaid, a fifth in a series of similar proposed reforms. Leading into 2022, the finance committee formed five bipartisan […]
Behavioral health reform efforts have a chance of passing during Congress’ lame-duck session. The final days of the legislative session include several must-move bills, according to experts with the law firm Polsinelli. Combined with a bipartisan interest in behavioral health reform, the environment on the Hill could be favorable to seeing key provisions clearing Congress. […]
The Biden administration has unveiled a new proposed rule that would make it easier to coordinate the care of those with a substance use disorder. On Monday, the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), posted a […]
Forty-five state attorneys general have signed a letter asking the federal government to preserve COVID-era regulations for virtual addiction treatment. The letter, which was organized by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), was sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The letter specifically calls on […]
The federal government is signaling big moves around deregulating medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Key federal stakeholders have indicated reforms are a top priority going forward. Already, the House of Representatives passed the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, potentially clearing the way for easier prescribing of methadone and buprenorphine. If realized, the changes to […]
Cerebral Inc. may be headed for a legal battle with former CEO Kyle Robertson, one of the co-founders of the mental health company. Robertson stopped being Cerebral’s CEO in May, when he was replaced by Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Mou. On Friday, a source told Behavioral Health Business that Robertson has sent a letter […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new rules aimed at expanding access to behavioral health for Medicare beneficiaries. On Tuesday, CMS announced it finalized rules that allow for greater flexibility in billing and supervising certain types of providers as well as permanently covering some telehealth services provided in Medicare beneficiaries’ homes. They […]
Members of Congress are pressuring two federal agencies to keep some pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in place. Reps. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) wrote and released a letter sent to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) asking the agencies to […]
Digital mental health is booming. Declining social stigma and the dramatic increase in demand of recent years have collided head on with the high barriers people have always faced when seeking traditional, in-person care. Given such a fundamental disconnect between supply and demand, private investors have been quick to seize the opportunity for innovation, as […]
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