CMS ISSUES FINAL RULES ON MENTAL HEALTH PARITY IN MEDICAID
This week, CMS released the final rules on mental health and substance use disorder parity for Medicaid and CHIP. To read our news item which includes links to the CMS press release, the actual rules, a CMS fact sheet and a list of frequently asked questions click here.
Speaking of behavioral health, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released an issue brief this week entitled “Benefits of Medicaid Expansion for Behavioral Health.” To read more about what is included in the brief and to download a copy, click here.
Previously we reported on the fact that Kentucky was a state to watch as it relates to Medicaid and its state-based marketplace (for that blog post click here). This is due to the fact that the new Kentucky Governor has vowed to end Kynect and put Kentucky on Healthcare.gov – the federally facilitated marketplace. The Commonwealth Fund has posted a blog which looks at what the end of Kynect would mean for Medicaid beneficiaries. To read this blog post, click here.
The Healthy Aging & Physical Disability Rehabilitation Research & Training Center (RRTC) at the University of Washington has released a new paper entitled “Living with Spinal Cord Injury: Watching for Secondary Conditions” What is this research about? We know people living with spinal cord injury experience many problems that may not be directly caused by their injury, but are still related to it. These problems may start any time after the injury. They include things like chronic pain and fatigue. These problems are called “secondary” or “secondary conditions.” In fact, sometimes “secondary” problems can be even more troublesome and difficult to manage than the original condition itself. However, they often don’t get as much attention from health care providers. Because some of these conditions may be prevented or treated, it is important to know when and how frequently they occur. Read more by clicking here.
In case you missed it, last week we announced the publication of a new population specific fact sheet entitled “What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Spina Bifida.” This is the latest fact sheet which provides navigators and other enrollment specialists with information they need to help specific populations within the disability community. The list of population specific fact sheets we have released to date is as follows:
- What to Know When Assisting Children and Adults in the Autism Community
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer who has Experienced or is at Risk for Blood Clots
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with a Child with Special Health Care Needs
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Intellectual Disability
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Mental Illness
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Multiple Sclerosis
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Spina Bifida
- What to Know When Assisting a Consumer with Traumatic Brain Injury
- Information for Veterans Regarding Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare
The entire list of fact sheets including our topical fact sheets is available here.
Are you looking for local partners to help with outreach to the disability community? The NDNRC is funding eighteen Community Outreach Collaboratives (COCs) for the third year of our project. This includes the eleven that were funded last year, plus seven new locations in six new states. The COCs increase collaborations in the community, dissemination and outreach efforts and enrollment of people with disabilities in the ACA. To find a COC, click here.
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