CMS Freezes CY 2022 Methadone Reimbursement Rates in Interim Final Rule

In an interim final rule (IFR), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it will freeze methadone reimbursement rates for calendar year (CY) 2022.

CMS is establishing a limited exception to the current CMS methodology for determining rates for the drug episode of care for methadone (HCPCS G2067-weekly bundle) and the add-on take-home for methadone (HCPCS G2708) by freezing rates at the CY2021 rate.

The most recent average sale price (ASP) quarterly rates for oral methadone decreased by just more than 50% over last year’s rate, resulting in a reimbursement rate of 17.64 versus the CY 2021 rate of 37.38 (100% of ASP). CMS said the reduction is due to the inclusion of methadone tablets, where previously only the oral concentrate form was reflected in ASP sales. In addition, because ASP is not required for oral methadone, only a small number of manufacturers report ASP data. Moreover, CMS is not clear about OTP utilization rates for the oral and tablet forms of methadone; however, the agency has heard anecdotally that OTPs use oral methadone exclusively.

CMS said that collectively, these three factors raised concerns about implementing such a “sudden and significant decrease in the rate for methadone” [that] could affect the ability of OTPs to continue to offer services to Medicare beneficiaries, thereby impeding access to treatment for OUD, at a time when overdose deaths are at an all-time high.” The freeze of reimbursement rates at the CY 2021 rates will allow time for further research and discussion with stakeholders to develop a new payment methodology in time for the CY 2023 payment rate determination.

CMS requested information from stakeholders on the following are of interest:

• The exception being made
• Frequency of use of methadone oral concentrate compared with tablets, and how this should factor into rate setting
• How the reduced payment changes (discussed above) will affect operations and beneficiary access to treatment

Public comments are due by Jan. 3, 2022. The rule will be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 19 and will become effective on Jan. 1, 2022.

NABH Sends Letters to U.S. Senate Finance and HELP Committees

NABH recently sent letters to members of the influential Senate Finance and Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committees that provided detailed information and recommendations about how to improve access to mental health and addiction treatment.

The first letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) was a response to a request for information from the senators this summer. In it, NABH emphasized ensuring parity; expanding telehealth; strengthening workforce; increasing integration, coordination, and access; improving access for children and youth; and increasing Medicare Advantage accountability for mental health and addiction treatment.

NABH also sent a letter to Senators Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) of the Senate HELP Committee regarding their request for feedback on the programs authorized in the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016.

“The pandemic has highlighted and amplified the need for improved access to mental health and addiction treatment,” NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin explained in both letters. “Studies have consistently found significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression and suicidal ideation. In addition, alcohol consumption has increased significantly,” he added. “Drug overdose deaths increased almost 30% in 2020 to more than 90,000 deaths, the highest number ever recorded over a 12-month period. Although suicide rates seemed to have leveled off and decreased last year, there have been troubling increases in suicides and suicidal ideation among certain subgroups including Black Americans and adolescent girls.”

Both letters also noted that experts expect mental health and substance use disorders to remain elevated long after the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

NABH and Other Behavioral Health Groups Send Letter to OSHA on Workplace Violence

NABH led development of a stakeholder group letter to the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about ensuring the safety of personnel in healthcare settings, including those focused on behavioral health.

The letter from NABH, the American Nurses Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing followed an early August meeting with representatives from all of the organizations and OSHA that focused on settings where people access mental health or substance use disorder treatment.

NABH and the other organizations highlighted a variety of issues, including incorporating trauma-informed care to inform both environmental interventions and settings; conducting debriefing sessions when incidents do occur, including the patient’s perspective to inform additional prevention measures; and providing clinician and staff development/training on de-escalation techniques.

The Commonwealth Fund and Council of State Governments Release Policy Options to Advance Mental Health

The Commonwealth Fund and the Council of State Governments have released Mental Health Resource Guide for State Policymakers, a new resource based on state priorities, best practices, and perspectives from leaders in the field of mental health.

Overseen by an advisory group of state legislators, health officials, and experts, the guide focuses on four policy areas: social isolation and loneliness, maternal mental health, social determinants of mental health, and mental health insurance parity.

“The resource guide addresses the issue of workforce shortages, and also highlights ways to stretch existing resources, including, for instance, providing peer support and consultation between primary care and behavioral health providers,” The Commonwealth Fund noted in its announcement about the guide. “Some strategies include expanding telehealth psychiatric services and incorporating mental health screening and interventions into various settings like schools, senior centers, workplaces, primary care offices, and in law enforcement.”

ASAM and Well Being Trust Release Toolkit for Strengthening Patient-Centered Addiction Care

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the Well Being Trust this week released Speaking the Same Language: A Toolkit for Strengthening Patient-Centered Addiction Care in the United States, a toolkit written by Manatt Health Strategies to emphasize the need for adopting a common framework to addiction care in the United States.

The toolkit is meant to educate stakeholders about the strategies and tools available to support more effective implementation of The ASAM Criteria and also provide legislative, regulatory, and contractual language that interested states can use.

SAMHSA to Host Webinar on Behavioral Health Equity on Tuesday, Nov. 16

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will host Advancing Behavioral Health Equity: National CLAS Standards in Action on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The webinar will examine real-world examples of behavioral health service providers who use the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) and the Behavioral Health Implementation Guide.
 
Presenters include Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. and Rear Admiral Felicia Collins, M.D., M.P.H., director of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Minority Health. Click here to register.

NABH 2021 Annual Meeting Photos and Recorded Sessions Now Available!

Photos and recorded sessions from last month’s Annual Meeting are now available on the association’s Annual Meeting webpage.

NABH looks forward to welcoming members to the 2022 Annual Meeting in Washington from June 13-15, 2022!

Reminder: NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Open to Members

NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is available for members to provide information about their experiences with managed care organizations that impose barriers to care through insurance-claim denials.

NABH’s Managed Care Committee worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard for parity or the effects on patients.

This NABH member-only, survey-like tool allows users to add the name of a managed care organization, type of plan, level of care, type of care (mental health or substance use disorder), duration of approved treatment, duration of unapproved treatment, criteria used to deny a claim, and more.

The portal allows members to submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation. In time, the tool could be a valuable resource for the NABH team’s advocacy efforts.

Please e-mail Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.

Fact of the Week

A new study shows that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2016 Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain was associated with substantial reductions in dispensing opioids, including a reduction in patients’ rate of receiving at least one opioid prescription by about 20 percentage points by December 2018 with the counterfactual, no-guideline scenario.
 
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

CMS Issues Emergency Rule Requiring Covid-19 Vaccination for Medicare & Medicaid Providers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday issued an emergency regulation requiring Covid-19 vaccination for eligible staff at certain healthcare facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Facilities covered under this regulation must establish a policy that ensures all eligible staff have received the first dose of a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine or a one-dose Covid-19 vaccine by Dec. 5, 2021 before they provide any care or treatment, CMS said in its announcement.

All eligible staff must have received the necessary shots to be vaccinated—either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—by Jan. 4, 2022. The regulation provides exemptions based on recognized medical conditions, religious beliefs, observances, or practices.

“Ensuring patient safety and protection from Covid-19 has been the focus of our efforts in combatting the pandemic and the constantly evolving challenges we’re seeing,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in the announcement. “Today’s action addresses the risk of unvaccinated healthcare staff to patient safety and provides the stability and uniformity across the nation’s healthcare system to strengthen the health of people and the providers who care for them.”

The regulations became effective today, Friday, Nov. 5, and CMS will accept comments on this interim final rule until Jan. 4, 2022. Click here for details about submitting comments.

OSHA Releases Covid-19 Vaccination and Testing Requirements in the Workplace

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Thursday released an emergency temporary standard (ETS) that requires employers with 100 or more employees to develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy to minimize the risk of the deadly coronavirus.

In the highly anticipated rule, OSHA noted an exception for employers who instead adopt a policy that requires employees to choose either to get vaccinated or to undergo Covid-19 testing at least once per week in the workplace and wear a face covering at work.

The testing requirement for unvaccinated workers is scheduled to begin on Jan. 4, 2022, and employers must comply with all other requirements in the ETS—such as providing paid time off for employees to get vaccinated and “reasonable time and paid sick leave” to recover from the vaccination’s potential side effects—by Dec. 6, 2021. Employees who fall under the ETS rule must have their final vaccination dose by Jan. 4, 2022.

“We must take action to implement this emergency temporary standard to contain the virus and protect people in the workplace against the grave danger of Covid-19,” U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in a news release. “Many businesses understand the benefits of having their workers vaccinated against Covid-19, and we expect many will be pleased to see this OSHA rule go into effect.”

According to the rule, states and U.S. territories that have their own OSHA-approved occupational and health plans must “either amend their standards to be identical or ‘at least as effective’ as the new standard or show that an existing state plan standard covering this area is ‘at least as effective’ as the new federal standard.”

Of the 28 states and territories with OSHA-approved state plans, 22 cover both public and private sector employees and six states and territories (Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and the Virgin Islands) cover only state and local governments.
OSHA released a fact sheet about the ETS and will accept written comments about any aspect of the rule by Dec. 6, 2021. Click here to submit comments and attachments.

CMS Releases Final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and OPPS Rules for 2022

CMS this week released both the final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and final hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) regulations for 2022. Highlights for both regulations are included below.

PFS Highlights:
The final PFS for next year includes a cut to practitioner rates due to a statutory budget neutrality requirement. In addition, a 3.75% payment increase provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2021 is expected to expire. Click here for additional details about the agency’s payment provisions.

For telehealth services, the Medicare program will continue covering mental health and substance use disorder services via telehealth after the public health emergency ends.

The frequency of in-person visits that will be required for those receiving care via telehealth has been modified to lessen the frequency. Instead of every six months, CMS changed its proposal to require in-person visits once every 12 months for those receiving behavioral health treatment via telehealth. CMS also will allow for exceptions to this 12-month interval if both the provider and patient agree the risks and burdens outweigh the benefits and this is documented.

The requirement that beneficiaries receiving mental health treatment via telehealth must have been seen in-person during the prior six months before the first telehealth service will be maintained because this previous in-person visit requirement was established in the statute.

Meanwhile, Medicare will continue to cover audio-only telehealth for mental health. CMS also clarified that MH services include treatment of substance use disorders for purposes of Medicare coverage of audio-only telehealth. Providers must have the capacity to offer telehealth via audio and visual technology. CMS is requiring use of a service-level modifier for services provided via audio-only telehealth.

Medicare will continue to cover a long list of services covered via telehealth on a temporary basis during the pandemic until the end of CY 2023. Click here to see the telehealth services that will be covered for 2022.

For the nation’s Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), the Medicare program will continue to cover individual and group therapy and substance use counseling provided by OTPs via audio-only, telehealth technology after the public health emergency ends. This coverage of audio-only is limited to situations when video is not available to the beneficiary or they do not consent to the use of video.

In addition, CMS made final the proposal that new service-level modifier be appended to claims submitted for the counseling and therapy add-on code when services are furnished via audio-only. The agency is not finalizing the prior proposal to require additional documentation in the medical record to support the use of audio-only services.

CMS also finalized its proposals to provide annual updates and locality adjustments for the add-on payments for the non-drug components for opioid antagonist medication (i.e., naloxone) that were new for CY 2021, to provide a new code for a higher dose of the naloxone nasal spray, pricing methodologies for this higher dose naloxone product; reaffirmed recoupment of duplicative payments for naloxone (where separately paid under Medicare Part B or D) from the OTP; and finalized a new code (G1028) for a higher dose 8mg naloxone nasal spray.

The agency also published an interim final rule, the “Opioid Treatment Programs: CY2022 Methadone Payment Exception” in which CMS proposes to extend 2021 OTP reimbursement rates for methadone under the OTP benefit through 2023.

OPPS Rule Highlights:
In this rule, CMS made final its earlier proposal to set a minimum civil monetary penalty of $300 per day that would apply to smaller hospitals with bed counts of 30 or fewer beds and apply a penalty of $10 per bed, per day for hospitals with a bed count greater than 30 beds, not to exceed a maximum daily dollar amount of $5,5500. The maximum would be imposed if hospitals do not provide documentation of bed counts.

CMS also finalized its proposal to maintain the existing methodology for per diem partial hospitalization rates using calendar year (CY) 2019 claims and cost report data to develop the CY 2022 rates. CMS will also use the CY 2021 finalized per diem costs as cost floors for CY 2022.

CMS did not specify that Medicare will continue coverage of services by partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) via telehealth. The agency noted comments, including some from NABH, that expressed strong support for continued coverage and said it will consider these comments in future rulemaking.

The agency did not address whether Medicare would continue to cover PHP facility fees for telehealth services, which could require a legislative change.

NABH Supports Sound the Alarm for Kids! Campaign

NABH is proud to be one of more than 75 organizations to support Sound the Alarm for Kids!, a campaign from the Children’s Hospital Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists to urge Congress to enact legislation and increase funding to address children’s mental health.

The campaign notes there has been a 25% increase in overall mental health-related emergency department visits for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 between 2019 and 2020, while emergency department visits for youth between the ages of 12 and 17 have seen a 31% increase in that same period.

“The latest data from SAMHSA show that almost 3 million adolescents had serious thoughts of suicide last year, with more than 1 million who said they made suicide plans,” NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin said in the campaign’s news release on Nov. 2. “These statistics are even more troubling as we face significant shortages across behavioral healthcare professions and treatment settings,” he added. “We are eager to work with policymakers, workforce agencies, and partner organizations to identify where the gaps in access to care are—and how we can fill those gaps.”

Aaron Beck, M.D., ‘Father of Cognitive Therapy’ Dies at 100

NABH remembers with grateful appreciation psychiatrist Aaron Beck, M.D., who died Nov. 1 in Philadelphia, for his pragmatic approach to psychotherapy that changed the treatment of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders in the United States.

“He took a hundred years of dogma, found that it didn’t hold up, and invented something brief, lasting and effective to put in its place,” Steven Hollon, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University, told The New York Times. “He basically saved psychotherapy from itself.”

Reminder: NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Open to Members

NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is available for members to provide information about their experiences with managed care organizations that impose barriers to care through insurance-claim denials.

NABH’s Managed Care Committee worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard for parity or the effects on patients.

This NABH member-only, survey-like tool allows users to add the name of a managed care organization, type of plan, level of care, type of care (mental health or substance use disorder), duration of approved treatment, duration of unapproved treatment, criteria used to deny a claim, and more.

The portal allows members to submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation. In time, the tool could be a valuable resource for the NABH team’s advocacy efforts.

Please e-mail Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.

Fact of the Week

Grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for research into bipolar disorder is lower than funding for other serious mental illness research and focuses heavily on basic science research instead of clinical research, according to an article published in Journal of Affective Disorders.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 Application Deadline is Next Week

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) will accept applications for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) rural payments through next Tuesday, Oct. 26 by 11:59 p.m. ET.

PRF Phase 4 is open to a broad range of healthcare providers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and ARP Rural is open to Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers who serve rural patients. Click here for more information and here to apply.

And if you missed it, HHS hosted a briefing session to provide information about these funding opportunities. Click here to watch the video.

CDC Estimates About 20% of Adults Received Some Mental Health Treatment in 2020

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics estimates that 20.3% of adults received any mental health treatment in 2020, including 16.5% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 10.1% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

The data also showed that women were more likely than men to have received any mental health treatment, and that non-Hispanic white adults (24.4%) were more likely than non-Hispanic black (15.3%), Hispanic (12.6%), and non-Hispanic Asian (7.7%) adults to have received any mental health treatment.

Meanwhile, as the level of urbanization decreased, the percentage of adults who had taken medication for their mental health increased, and the percentage who had received counseling or therapy decreased, the report showed.

Bipartisan Policy Center Webinar Discusses Mental Health Workforce Shortage

The Bipartisan Policy Center this week hosted a panel of healthcare and policy experts to discuss solutions to the nation’s mental health workforce shortage, including workforce expansion, community training, and behavioral healthcare and primary care service integration.

Panelists included Benjamin Miller, Psy.D., president of the Well Being Trust; former U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, M.D., who is also founder and CEO of BayouClinic, Inc.; and Shekhar Saxena, M.D., professor of the Practice of Global Mental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Click here to watch the recorded webinar.

Urban Institute Study Examines Commercial Insurance Markups Over Medicare Prices

Psychiatry was among a group of medical specialties that had the lowest commercial markups relative to Medicare prices, according to a new study from the Urban Institute.

The report shows that family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, dermatology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry averaged about 110% of Medicare rates or less, while the following nine specialties received commercial payments between 120% and 150% of Medicare rates, on average: gastroenterology, cardiology, general surgery, and orthopedics.

Researchers analyzed March 2019 to February 2020 data from FAIR Health’s private health insurance claims database covering more than 150 million people nationwide. The sample included 17 physician specialties and about 20 services per specialty that represent about 40% of total professional spending.

FAIR Health is an independent, national, not-for-profit organization that provides information to consumers.

NABH Wants to Hear from You: Please Evaluate the 2021 Annual Meeting

NABH this week sent Annual Meeting attendees a survey to evaluate the 2021 Annual Meeting. If you attended the meeting and have not submitted an evaluation, please take a moment to complete the survey.

As a reminder, our Speakers & Presentations page includes presentations that NABH has permission to post publicly, and the 2021 Exhibitor & Sponsor Guide is available on both the NABH Resources and Exhibitors & Sponsors pages on our website. Annual Meeting photos and videos will be posted to our Annual Meeting page later this month.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Washington from June 13-15, 2022 for next year’s Annual Meeting!

Reminder: NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Open to Members

NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is available for members to provide information about their experiences with managed care organizations that impose barriers to care through insurance-claim denials.

NABH’s Managed Care Committee worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard for parity or the effects on patients.

This NABH member-only, survey-like tool allows users to add the name of a managed care organization, type of plan, level of care, type of care (mental health or substance use disorder), duration of approved treatment, duration of unapproved treatment, criteria used to deny a claim, and more.

The portal allows members to submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation. In time, the tool could be a valuable resource for the NABH team’s advocacy efforts.

Please e-mail Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.

Fact of the Week

A new study published in Health Affairs found that people with mental health disorders had 50% higher rates of severe maternal morbidity compared with people without mental health disorders, and $458 higher costs per delivery hospitalization.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

HHS Hosts Technical Webinars as Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 Application Deadline Approaches

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) will accept applications for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through Tuesday, Oct. 26.

HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers provider relief programs and is using a single application portal to make $17 billion in PRF phase 4 general distribution payments and $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) rural payments available to the nation’s providers.

To offer guidance for providers, HRSA has produced a series of webinars for Phase 4 and ARP rural applications on how to navigate the application portal and provide the required financial documentation. These sessions include:

• Phase 4 and ARP Rural: Overview and Portal Demonstration
  • Thursday, Sept. 30: View the recorded webcast.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 5: View the recorded webcast.
  • Download the slides.

• Phase 4 and ARP Rural: Providing Supporting Documentation
  • Wednesday, Oct. 13: View the recorded webcast.
  • Thursday, Oct. 21: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET: Register to attend.

HHS also hosted a briefing session to provide information about these funding opportunities. Click here to watch the video.

NASHP Examines How States are Spending American Rescue Plan Act Funds

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has developed a state-by-state analysis to show how states are using funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) that became law on March 11, 2021.

The ARP provides considerable funding for continued pandemic response, including $195.3 billion in Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds for the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Those funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and expended by Dec. 31, 2026.

Click here to view NASHP’s map and accompanying state profiles to see the status of the State Fiscal Recovery Fund.

Palo Alto University Announces Training to Incorporate Digital Therapy Tools in Mental Health Practices

Palo Alto University has announced it will begin offering a 50-hour training program for incorporating digital therapy tools into mental health practices.

According to the university, the new program—Foundations of Digital Mental Health— will offer “foundational knowledge, training, and best practices necessary” for delivering mental health services online.

Course topics include Technology and Mental Health for Children and Adolescents: Screen Time, Digital Interventions, and Teletherapy; Suicide, Risk Assessment & Treatment Planning Via Tele-Mental Health; and Evidence-Based Internet Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities.

Click here to learn more and to register.

NABH 2021 Annual Meeting Presentations & Exhibitor & Sponsor Guide Available Online

Thank you to all who attended NABH’s 2021 Annual Meeting in Washington last week!

NABH was pleased to welcome in person top officials from SAMHSA and the U.S. Labor Department, former National Institute of Mental Health Director Tom Insel, M.D., New York Times bestselling author and four-time Emmy winner Larry Sabato, Ph.D. of the University of Virginia, award-winning singer and mental health advocate Judy Collins, and others.

Please visit our Speakers & Presentations page to view the presentations that included slides and that NABH has permission to post publicly.

Also, NABH mailed copies of the 2021 Exhibitor & Sponsor Guide to members this week, and the guide’s online version is available on both the NABH Resources and Exhibitors & Sponsors pages on our website.

Annual Meeting photos and videos will be posted to our Annual Meeting page later this month.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Washington from June 13-15, 2022 for next year’s Annual Meeting!

Please Nominate Members to the 2022 NABH Board of Trustees Slate of Candidates Today!

Please help the NABH Selection Committee identify potential candidates for Board Chair-Elect and two Board seats that will become available in 2022

The Selection Committee is particularly interested in identifying senior managers who represent the broad diversity within the NABH membership, including various levels of care, organizational structures, and size.

Please download a nomination form to share your recommendations of individuals you would like to see included in the single-slate ballot for 2022. Please attach a curriculum vitae (CV) for each individual you recommend. This will help the Selection Committee in its deliberations. You are welcome to suggest yourself.

Please return this form and candidates’ CVs to maria@nabh.org by the end of today, Oct. 15.

Reminder: NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Open to Members

NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is available for members to provide information about their experiences with managed care organizations that impose barriers to care through insurance-claim denials.

NABH’s Managed Care Committee worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard for parity or the effects on patients.

This NABH member-only, survey-like tool allows users to add the name of a managed care organization, type of plan, level of care, type of care (mental health or substance use disorder), duration of approved treatment, duration of unapproved treatment, criteria used to deny a claim, and more.

The portal allows members to submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation. In time, the tool could be a valuable resource for the NABH team’s advocacy efforts.

Please e-mail Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.

Fact of the Week

An analysis of electronic health records of nearly 580,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States found that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection among vaccinated patients with substance use disorders was low overall, but higher than the risk among vaccinated people without substance use disorders.
 
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

Reminder: Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 Application Deadline is Oct. 26

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is accepting applications for phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through Tuesday, Oct. 26.

HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers provider relief programs and is using a single application portal to make $17 billion in PRF phase 4 general distribution payments and $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan rural payments available to the nation’s providers.

Click here to learn more about the programs and how to apply.

President Biden Honors Everyone in Recovery in Video Message

President Biden helped to conclude National Recovery Month this week with a brief video celebrating all Americans in recovery.

The president acknowledged that about 23 million Americans are in recovery and millions more are affected by addiction. He also sent a clear message to people who are not in recovery, and to people with loved ones who are not in recovery.

“You are not alone. This is personal to millions of families,” President Biden said. “This is personal to my family. My son has written about it. And I know—I know there is hope,” he added. “Treatment works. Recovery is possible. And my administration is here to support every person and their family on their journey to recovery.”

SAMHSA to Establish New Office of Recovery

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is launching an Office of Recovery within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use to advance the agency’s commitment to recovery for all Americans.

“We have identified recovery as a crosscutting principle throughout SAMHSA’s policies and programs,” Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. said in an announcement. “In standing up this new office, SAMHSA is committed to growing and expanding recovery support services nationwide.”

SAMHSA’s announcement said the new office will have a dedicated team with an understanding of recovery to promote policies, programs, and services to those in or seeking recovery.

NABH 2021 Annual Meeting is Next Week

NABH is pleased to welcome attendees to the NABH 2021 Annual Meeting in Washington Oct.6-8!

Please join us at the Mandarin Oriental hotel and hear from our speakers, including Acting Assistant Secretary Ali Khawar from the U.S. Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, SAMHSA Administrator Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., former National Institute of Mental Health Director Tom Insel, M.D., folk singer and mental health advocate Judy Collins, and more.

Learn more about our speakers on our Annual Meeting webpage, and please be sure to register if you have not done so yet. We look forward to seeing you next week!

Please Nominate Members to the 2022 NABH Board of Trustees Slate of Candidates

Please help the NABH Selection Committee identify potential candidates for Board Chair-Elect and two Board seats that will become available in 2022

The Selection Committee is particularly interested in identifying senior managers who represent the broad diversity within the NABH membership, including various levels of care, organizational structures, and size.

Please download a nomination form to share your recommendations of individuals you would like to see included in the single-slate ballot for 2022. Please attach a curriculum vitae (CV) for each individual you recommend. This will help the Selection Committee in its deliberations. You are welcome to suggest yourself.

Please return this form and candidates’ CVs to maria@nabh.org by Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.

Reminder: NABH Denial-of-Care Portal is Open to Members

NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is available for members to provide information about their experiences with managed care organizations that impose barriers to care through insurance-claim denials.

NABH’s Managed Care Committee worked for more than a year to develop the Denial-of-Care Portal as a way to collect specific data on insurers who deny care—often without regard for parity or the effects on patients.

This NABH member-only, survey-like tool allows users to add the name of a managed care organization, type of plan, level of care, type of care (mental health or substance use disorder), duration of approved treatment, duration of unapproved treatment, criteria used to deny a claim, and more.

The portal allows members to submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation. In time, the tool could be a valuable resource for the NABH team’s advocacy efforts.

Please e-mail Emily Wilkins, NABH’s administrative coordinator, if you have questions about the portal.

Fact of the Week

Physicians have prescribed 44% fewer opioids over the past decade, yet fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses have continued to climb, according to a new report from the American Medical Association.

CEO Update Will Publish Next on Friday, Oct. 15

NABH will not publish CEO Update next week due to the Annual Meeting. Please look for our next edition on Friday, Oct. 15.
 
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.