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Legislative
and
Advocacy
Update
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The Federation is involved at the national level in monitoring legislation, funding opportunities, advocacy opportunities and resources that could aid your work as the voice for families. This has been an active few weeks. We have highlighted what we think you might find most useful.
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We will continue to provide these overviews and we need your help. Alerting us to what is happening on the state level will aid not only those in your state but others nationally as ideas spread. As you become aware of state or national legislative alerts, funding and advocacy opportunities or resources that could be used to build funding requests, please let us know by emailing
[email protected]
.
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Family Caregivers Act Signed
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A new law will require the federal government to develop a national strategy to address the needs of family caregivers, including those supporting people with developmental disabilities.
President Donald Trump signed legislation this week known as the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage, or RAISE Family Caregivers Act.
The law calls for the secretary of health and human services to establish a national plan to “recognize and support family caregivers” within 18 months. The plan is supposed to include recommendations for federal, state and local governments as well as health care and long-term services and supports providers. The strategy is to be updated every other year.
Additionally, the legislation also creates a family caregiving advisory council comprised of federal officials and stakeholders in the community to guide the strategy’s development and advise the secretary and other members of government on how to support the more than 40 million family caregivers across the country.
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Data for Advocacy and Grants
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HRSA Releases New Data
on Child Health
Across the U.S.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released the 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health data from nearly 21,000 households across the United States (U.S.). This voluntary survey, funded and directed by HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau, provides annual national- and state-level estimates of key measures of child health and well-being. The findings include that in 2016-2017, 13.8 million children zero to 17 years old in the U.S. were reported to have a special health care need. In addition, among the children ages three to 17 years old who were reported as needing mental health services in the past 12 months, 80 percent received these services in 2016-2017.
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KIDS COUNT
is a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and a premier source of data on children and families. Each year, the Foundation produces a comprehensive report - the
KIDS COUNT Data Book
- that assesses child well-being in the United States.
You can pull data by state:
- County
- By School District
- By City
- By Congressional District
- By Congressional District
You can then find these statistics:
- Demographics
- Economic Well Being
- Education
- Family /Community
- Health
- Safety/Risk Factors
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The report also provides these characteristics:
- Age
- Race and Ethnicity
- Family
This is an invaluable tool for advocacy and for grant and funding proposals.
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Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model
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The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) is announcing a
new model as part of a multi-pronged strategy
to combat the nation’s opioid crisis. The Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model is a child-centered local service delivery and state payment model that aims to reduce expenditures and improve the quality of care for children under 21 years of age covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through prevention, early identification, and treatment of behavioral and physical health needs. The model will empower states and local providers to better address these needs and the impact of opioid addiction through care integration across all types of healthcare providers
The InCk Model aims to achieve these goals through:
- Early identification and treatment of children with multiple physical, behavioral, or other health-related needs and risk factors through population-level engagement in assessment and risk stratification.
- Integrated care coordination and case management across physical health, behavioral health, and other local service providers for children with health needs impacting their functioning in their schools, communities, and homes.
- Development of state-specific APMs to align payment with care quality and supporting accountability for improved child health outcomes and long-term health system sustainability.
The CMS Innovation Center anticipates releasing a detailed
Notice of Funding Opportunity
in Fall 2018 with additional details on how state Medicaid agencies and local health and community-based organizations can apply to participate in the model. CMS intends to award funding for up to 8 cooperative agreements at a maximum of $16 million each as early as Spring of 2019 to implement the seven-year model.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are now collecting comments for recently revised Medicaid 1115 waivers in
Alabama
,
Tennessee
and
Michigan
.
Alabama
- Comments close on October 21st
Michigan
- Comments close on October 26th
Tennessee
-
Comments close on October 26th
Information about Tennessee’s waiver is available here:
TN Waiver
.
Comments can shape waiver approvals and be used in court to stop implementation. Commenting now on these waivers is incredibly important, for stakeholders in the states and across the country.
Families USA has developed new comment guides to help advocates frame their input on the waiver proposals.
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Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act
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On October 3, 2018 at an event recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act , The Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity in the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, The Kennedy Forum, The Carter Center, and Well Being Trust jointly released “Evaluating State Mental Health and Addiction Parity Statutes,” which assigns failing grades to 32 states for statues designed to ensure equal access to mental health and addiction treatment.
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The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the Federal Parity Law)
requires health plans to cover mental health, eating disorders, and addiction benefits the same way they cover physical health.
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The Kennedy Forum will be at the NFFCMH National Conference to answer your questions about parity.
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Children's Budget Summary
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First Focus
released the
Children's Budget 2018
, which captures and analyzes historical funding data and spending trends across a wide range of policy areas including child welfare, early childhood, education, health, housing, income support, nutrition, safety and training tracking federal investments in nearly 200 different programs.
Some highlights of this analysis:
- Children receive a smaller piece of the Federal pie today than they did four years ago. The share of total federal spending on children has declined by 1.7 percent since FY 2014 (from 8.20 percent to 8.06 percent)
- However, the share of total federal spending on children rose 1.1 percent from FY 2017 (when it was 7.97 percent), thanks to important investments following passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (PL 115-123)
- In FY 2018, the federal government spent 7.7 percent of its budget on the interest on the national debt –nearly as much as the 8.06 percent it spent on children. The Urban Institute estimates federal spending on interest on the debt will surpass all federal investments on children in FY 2020
- If enacted, the President’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal would eliminate 41 programs serving children and cut numerous others, reducing the share of spending on kids to 6.89 percent
- The Budget Control Act of 2011 (PL 112-25) cap on non-defense discretionary spending will drop $55 billion (from $597 billion to $542 billion) in FY 2020—jeopardizing gains under the Bipartisan Budget Act
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Children's Health Insurance Program
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On October 3rd, CMS released the letter below to describe some key provisions of the
HEALTHY KIDS
and ACCESS Acts
that are related to CHIP as well as other children’s coverage and quality provisions. Congress has extended federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through September 30, 2027, providing federal funding for states’ administration of the program for ten years, and continuing coverage for over 9 million children currently enrolled in CHIP.
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Short Term Limited Duration Insurance Final Rule Lawsuit
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The Kennedy Forum drafted a letter signed by 80 organizations, including the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, supporting a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s
Final Rule
on Short Term Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI) plans. The letter expresses alarm regarding the Final Rule, which allows a dramatic expansion of STLDI plans that often offer little to no benefits for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.
Additionally, the letter applauds the efforts of the seven plaintiffs – Association for Community Affiliated Plans, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, American Psychiatric Association, AIDS United, National Partnership for Women and Families, and Little Lobbyists – to block the fundamentally flawed Final Rule that will reduce access to care for millions of Americans.
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Senate Passes Opioid Package with 98-1 Vote
Information taken from Faces and Voices of Recovery, to read the complete article, click
HERE
.
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Recovery voices have been heard in the halls of Congress.
As the result of YOUR dedication and powerful advocacy, this comprehensive bill includes policies and resources that support people in recovery from addiction across the lifespan. From caring for infants and babies, to youth in recovery, to housing, employment, recovery coaching, and recovery community organizations,
the bill has a
heavy emphasis on recovery, like we've never seen before
.
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State Options to Promote Recovery in Pregnant/Parenting Women with Substance Use Disorder
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The current opioid epidemic is driving a heightened focus on substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment for pregnant and parenting women, who have unique needs and face unique challenges. However, gaps in care often remain, particularly during the postpartum period. This NASHP webinar, supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, will highlight a state that is coordinating across agencies and systems to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting women affected by SUD. Speakers from Colorado will describe the coverage, financing, and care delivery strategies that their state agencies and safety net providers leverage to facilitate recovery among pregnant and parenting women with SUD, including opportunities for cross-system collaboration.
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1:00 2:15 p.m. (EST)
Wednesday
Oct. 24, 2018
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Jerome M. Adams, U.S. Surgeon General, along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), released
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids
.
The report calls for a cultural shift in the way Americans talk about the opioid crisis and recommends actions that can prevent and treat opioid misuse and promote recovery.
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These four new fact sheets from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provide guidance on patient care for pregnant mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD). Fact sheet topics include OUD and pregnancy, OUD treatment, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and personal considerations to address.
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Beyond Awareness: Student Led Innovation
in Campus Mental Health
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With an understanding of the effectiveness of peer support, the influence of community, and the impact of consumer voice, Mental Health America created its inaugural Collegiate Mental Health Innovation Council (CMHIC) in 2017. CMHIC is dedicated to discussing the latest issues students face when balancing higher education with mental health concerns and highlighting student-led innovation on campus that addresses these concerns. CMHIC consists of student leaders who have created programs or lead advocacy on campus that fills gaps in traditional mental health supports and services in their communities.
The first report,
Beyond Awareness: Student-Led Innovation in Campus Mental Health
, highlights the impact of disability supports, peer support, and technology on student mental health and the role of student leadership in each of these areas. Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience), Why should they care? (Benefit), and What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action).
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