URAC’s Post

"Healthcare should heal, not harm. But for too many, the carceral state controls mental health care. Here’s what that looks like 👇🏽" 🚔 Police respond to mental health crises — turning care into criminalization. 🏥 Psychiatric holds and restraints — often feel more like punishment than help. 📋 Mandatory reporting systems — force patients into the justice system for issues needing care, not control. 🧑🏿⚕️ Healthcare providers — rarely learn about the carceral state’s impact, yet it’s critical to doing no harm. 👭🏾 Antiracist alternatives — we need community-led crisis response and culturally informed care, not coercion. I’m working toward legislation that mandates healthcare providers receive training on the carceral state and antiracist mental health practices. Join the movement to make mental health care about healing, not handcuffs. 💜 Follow, share, subscribe to my newsletter. https://lnkd.in/g43YtaYZ #MentalHealthJustice #AbolitionistMentalHealth #CarceralState #EndPoliceInMentalHealth #CommunityCareNotCops #TransformMentalHealth #LegislationForChange

United Healthcare was ordered to take a third look at its denial of coverage for a patient's mental health and substance abuse treatment. Law360 Healthcare Authority looks at the significant cases and decisions that shaped the industry in the last week. https://lnkd.in/e444thNP

A thoughtful article by my colleagues at Ropes & Gray--- attorneys Devin Cohen, Harvey Cotton, Emma Coreno, La’Dericka Hall, Jonathan Reinstein, Christine Rosenblatt, and Timothy Rozier-Byrd have provided a high-level summary of the changes between the proposed rule and the recently issued final rule implementing the nonquantitative treatment limitation (“NQTL”) comparative analyses requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (“MHPAEA”). The #Regulations seek to reinforce the obligations of group health plans and #HealthInsurance issuers under MHPAEA, by among other things, 1) placing a heightened focus on the elimination of more restrictive barriers to access to #MentalHealth and substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical/surgical benefits, 2) standardizing the definitions associated with the parity analysis for NQTLs applicable to mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical/surgical benefits, and 3) clarifying the content and data evaluation requirements of the NQTL comparative analyses. Follow the link to learn more. 

Reminder! Don't forget to join us TOMORROW for a free webinar, eligible for one CE credit! 🎓✨ You'll discover how County Behavioral Health Directors are shaping the future of Medicare and supporting beneficiaries—and what it means for mental health professionals. Register at https://lnkd.in/eESSRvfM #Medicare #Counseling #ContinuingEducation #ProfessionalDevelopment #Medicare #MFTsinMedicare

Overly invasive #MentalHealth questions in licensing & credentialing applications prevent health care workers from seeking mental health support and increase the risk of suicide. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, we’re sharing 34 licensure boards & 375 hospitals that have verified with Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation that their applications do not include intrusive mental health questions—benefiting more than 1.1 million licensed & 115,000 credentialed health workers nationwide. Explore these Well-Being Champions: https://ow.ly/QvmB50TwJxV #AllInForHealthCare

The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (together, the “Departments”) have released the eagerly awaited final regulation under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the “MHPAEA”). This legislation prevents health plans and insurers from creating obstacles to accessing mental health or substance use disorder benefits that are not present for medical and surgical benefits. https://buff.ly/49D9gCt #expertwitness #mentalhealthprofessionals #consultants

New Yorkers who care about #addiction and #mentalhealth care - make your voices heard!!! New proposed #healthinsurance regulations aimed at improving #providernetworks of #substanceusedisorder and #mentalhealthcare in private health plans can help reduce long wait-times to get in-network appointments, eliminate “ghost networks” on provider directories, and better ensure insurers are held accountable! Public comments are due April 22 - use our template comments to tell NY regulators to strengthen protections for accessing in-network #addictiontreatment and mental health care - New Yorkers' lives depend on it! https://bit.ly/3T4gY0L 

I'm super excited to be a part of the team that created a new electronic consent management system in Washington State, powered by us here at Midato Health. This initiative, rolled out on August 13, 2024, is a pivotal part of the Health Care Authority's efforts to elevate support for community organizations and providers serving our fellow citizens battling mental health and substance use disorders. Our ECM system is a secure, cloud-based hub for digital forms that healthcare providers can use. It's equipped with sophisticated role-based access controls, enabling these organizations to efficiently handle consent forms—vital for sharing sensitive health, social, and trauma-related information. The system is engineered to streamline care delivery and referrals, reducing delays and minimizing risks. ConsentLink offers a secure, efficient, and fully compliant platform. Key features like a comprehensive digital forms library and an intuitive consent registry are designed to manage patient consent with the highest level of integrity, adhering to the latest legal requirements. By deploying this technology at a community or state level, we're improving the fluidity of care transitions and reinforcing trust between patients and healthcare providers. This system proves that robust privacy controls can enhance, rather than obstruct, the sharing of crucial health data. #MidatoHealth #HealthTech #Consent #ConsentManagement #DigitalHealthInnovation #PatientPrivacy #ECM #WashingtonState

SBIRT Services — Revised Learn what’s changed (PDF): https://lnkd.in/dUEiUxsE Added: Examples of locations where Medicare-eligible providers can perform these services Marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to list of eligible providers Added information about: Telehealth flexibilities Evaluation and management for medication management Updated the eligible providers table with coverage requirements and payment information

📣NJ Spotlight News reports on #NJ’s plan for a single, integrated license that would allow for more coordinated care and better #patient outcomes. Our President & CEO, Linda Schwimmer, strongly advocates for this single license that will enable doctors, nurses and other clinicians to work as a team in one place to address a patient’s mental health, addiction and medical needs: https://lnkd.in/eQcx_PYF #QualityInstitute