Advocacy Alert: August 2022 Legislative News Round Up

September 1, 2022

For those of you who follow us on social media know, we post news stories on a daily basis that are connected to the behavioral health and addiction treatment industry.

Many of these are news stories regarding legislation, so once a month we send out a 'news roundup' of related news stories we've posted. Unless otherwise stated, BHAP has no official stance on any of these stories: the intention is to share so that we're all better informed as to what's happening in the legislative world.

A reminder that BHAP members get access to a monthly call with our advocate in Washington, DC, to find out what is going on and ask any questions you may have. Feel free to contact us for more information on that.

ID | Idaho to Invest in Drug Treatment and Mental Health Services to Reduce Crime
Shared 8/5/2022
The State of Idaho is offering $2.5 million worth of funding to state and local government agencies to help people address behaviors that drive criminal behavior.

DE | New Delaware Laws Address Mental Health of Children, Adults
Shared 8/7/2022
Governor John Carney has signed three bills passed by the Delaware General Assembly, which address concerns of children as well as adults.

Democratic US House Candidates Lay Out Responses to the Opioid Crisis
Shared 8/8/2022
Harm reduction measures, prevention strategies and the importance of federal funding were among the policy responses to the opioid crisis pitched at a town hall-style conversation.

CO | New Mental Health Legislation Aims to Improve Patient Outcomes
Shared 8/11/2022
Mental Health Colorado (MHC) President and CEO Dr. Vincent Atchity declared, "2022 may be the biggest year in Colorado history in terms of the significance for mental health legislation passed."

KY | Kentucky Supreme Court Launches Mental Health Commission
Shared 8/12/2022
The new Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health is made up of individuals from organizations with a substantial interest in mental health matters and will work to improve the practice, quality, and timeliness of judicial response.

CT | State Program to Shore Up Nursing, Mental Health Provider Ranks
Shared 8/12/2022
Gov. Ned Lamont and state academic officials outlined the federally funded CT Health Horizons program during a televised press conference on the Southern Connecticut State University campus in New Haven.

OR | Health Care Professionals Call for Federal Help Addressing Oregon's Youth Mental Health Crisis
Shared 8/13/2022
At a roundtable discussion with U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and the head of the federal office overseeing Medicaid, many expressed frustration with outdated rules and regulations.

GA | Georgia Behavioral Health Advocates Call for the State to Build on New Parity Law
Shared 8/14/2022
Advocates who rallied behind enforcing federal behavioral health parity rules in Georgia are pushing for continued reforms of the state's system -- including more work on parity.

HHS Updates Substance Abuse Confidentiality Regulations, Hints at Future HIPAA Alignment
Shared 8/19/2022
The finalized rule, posted (PDF) to the Federal Register on Tuesday, builds on changes to 42 CFR Part 2 released last year that allowed patients to provide a general disclosure for substance abuse information.

CMS to Mandate State Reporting of Behavioral Health Quality Data
Shared 8/20/2022
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could require states to report additional health quality data -- including more behavioral health quality data.

MI | Behavioral Health Legislation Introduced in State House
Shared 8/20/2022
New legislation to make changes to the screening process for potential admission to inpatient psychiatric care for behavioral and mental health patients was introduced Aug. 17 in the Michigan House of Representatives.

WV | State and Local Officials Discuss Opioid Epidemic During Roundtable
Shared 8/21/2022
Federal, state and local leaders that deal with issues surrounding the opioid epidemic had a chance to discuss those issues and ways to solve them during a roundtable discussion Thursday in Charleston at the state Culture Center.

CA | California Gov. Newsom Announces $4.7B Plan to Address Kids' Mental Health
Shared 8/24/2022
California Gov. Newsom on Thursday is announcing a $4.7 billion effort to increase access to mental health and substance use support services for young people in the state.

How Wit v. United Behavioral Health Could Impact the Future of Behavioral Health Parity
Shared 8/28/2022
The behavioral health industry awaits a vital federal appeals court decision in a long legal battle between payers and operators.

MT | Montana AG Announces Another Multi-State Settlement with Opioid Manufacturer
Shared 8/30/2022
In a statement, Knudsen said the states have an agreement in principle with Endo International, a pharmaceutical company that produces opioids like Percocet and Endocet.

ID | Biden Administration Invests $3.5 Million to Improve Health Care for Communities Across Idaho
Shared 8/30/2022
These investments will help five rural health care organizations expand critical services for Idahoans living in socially vulnerable communities.

Questions? Concerns?

As always, we want your input.

A reminder that BHAP members get regular access to our advocate in Washington, DC. If you have any questions about BHAP's advocacy efforts, please contact us.