Most behavioral health providers agree it’s a good thing: The federal government continues to funnel more money into behavioral health initiatives, such as fighting the opioid epidemic and funding certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHC). But as providers find themselves with more federal dollars, they’re also more likely to face increased scrutiny over their practices, […]
The co-founder of a Pennsylvania addiction rehab center has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for his role in an “elaborate” insurance scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The scheme fraudulently billed insurers for more than $100 million, local newspaper The Intelligencer reported. Defendant Branden Coluccio entered the plea […]
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine or methadone is the gold standard for treating individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), a new study suggests. Compared to other methods of treatment, researchers discovered that when buprenorphine or methadone are administered to individuals with OUD as part of their MAT regimen, they are less likely to experience an […]
In America today, the need for more substance use disorder (SUD) interventions is clear. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, and the alcohol-related death rate was twice what it was 20 years earlier. Those statistics don’t include nearly 20 million others who did not die but still battled SUD that year. […]
Dozens of behavioral health organizations are urging Congress to expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid demonstration, which is set to expire May 22. In a letter released Tuesday, 60 stakeholders asked lawmakers to extend the demonstration for the eight states currently participating and expands the program to nearly a dozen more states. […]
Boulder Care, a digital startup that coordinates treatment services for individuals struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD), has announced $10.5 million in Series A funding. In a blog post last week on Medium, Boulder co-founder and CEO Stephanie Papes announced the funding and that the company has enlisted Greycroft Partners and Tusk Ventures to provide […]
The Trump administration released its proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 Monday. On the behavioral health front, the budget aims to expand and extend the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid demonstration, significantly boosting funding to that program and a variety of others focused on mental health and the opioid epidemic. It also promises […]
By addressing social determinants of health and coordinating care, community health workers help save Medicaid payers significant amounts of money, while also leading to better overall outcomes for patients, a new study asserts. The findings could reasonably be applied to behavioral health providers. By offering preventative care to address social factors, the study suggests organizations […]
Nearly three years into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid demonstration and about a year and a half into the first round of CCBHC expansion grant program, behavioral health stakeholders continue to advocate for the wider roll out of the CCBHC model. And in January, the industry recorded a win on that front. […]
On January 1, new rules went into effect establishing expanded Medicare coverage for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. Under the new benefit, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) will be able to enroll in — and be reimbursed by — Medicare for providing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services that were not previously covered. Medicare will pay enrolled OTPs […]