This week, the House and Senate approved legislation to delay the implementation of the new requirement that tamper-resistant prescription pads be used for all Medicaid prescriptions written after September 30, 2007 by six months.   The Patient and Pharmacy Protection Act of 2007 (S 2085), introduced in the Senate by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and…

Final Bill Includes Six-Month Moratorium on New CMS Rules on Both Rehab Services Option and School-Based Services; Moves to Senate Later This Week.  Yesterday evening, the House approved legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by a vote of 265-159. Click here to view details on the National Council website.

Szabo’s personal story is both powerful and educational. His candid conversation frames mental health in real life language and examples and leaves participants with a genuine understanding of a day in the life of a person living with a mental disorder. The program is a valuable tool for students looking to better understand their friends…

Last night, the National Council received advance notice that CMS will issue proposed regulations regarding the Medicaid Rehabilitation Option on Monday, August 13. To view an advance copy of the proposed regulations, go to:   www.nccbh.org/TemporaryFiles/RehabReg.pdf   Based on our initial review of the proposed regulations, the National Council believes our advocacy has minimized some…

Call Your Senators Today to Urge Support for Legislation to Expand Mental Health Care Access for Veterans Through Partnerships With Community Providers!   Executive Summary: Last week, the House passed legislation (HR 2874) to improve mental health services for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The National Council urges all members to take advantage of…

Update—The Mental Health Parity Legislation in Colorado, SB07-036, has passed out of both chambers!  CBHC appreciates all of you who called, emailed and wrote letters to legislators and stakeholder groups.  This legislation will add the following to the list of behavioral disorders that must be covered by a health plan:   Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…

Toolkits to Promote Cultural Proficiency is a training program designed to increase the cultural proficiency of health care providers.  We are funded to develop and implemement this training over the next two years with a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Office of Health Disparities. The training program entails two courses: …

After learning that they were $17 million over budget for FY 07/08, the JBC voted unanimously to cut provider rates from 2% to 1.5%.  This is an overall loss of $179,448 total for all of the mental health contracts.