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On Wednesday, July 18, 2007, the House Education and Labor Committee voted in favor of H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. This is the first of three House committees assigned jurisdictio over H.R. 1424 to "mark-up" this bill.
Chairman Robert Andrews (NJ) and members of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions subcommittee held the third and final House committee hearing on H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, on July 10, 2007. Witnesses supporting the parity bill included former First Lady Rosalyn Carter and son of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, David.
Chairman Frank Pallone (NJ) and Health subcommittee members heard testimony from public and private mental health and substance abuse advocates as well as from insurance policy experts on June 15, 2007. Congressmen Patrick Kennedy (RI) Jim Ramstad (MN) were among the witnesses testifying in support of HR 1424.
On April 3, 2007, the Indiana Senate approved legislation that prohibits alcohol exclusions in health insurance policies. The bill has already been approved by the Indiana House of Representatives. Unless the Governor vetos the bill, the legislation will take effect on January 1, 2008.
Chairman Pete Stark and Health subcommittee members heard testimony from public and private mental health and substance abuse insurance policy experts on March 27, 2007. The hearing focused on H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007, and H.R. 1663, Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2007. [Transcript]
On February 14, 2007, the Senate HELP Committee approved the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007. It was placed on the Senate legislative calendar (for floor consideration) on March 27, 2007.
On February 15, 2007, Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation, S. 625, that would authorize the US Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. Congressmen Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 1108, to the House of Representatives. Committee hearings are expected in late February.
On Friday, December 29, 2006, President Bush signed H.R. 6344, the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 2006, into law. This bill contained a provision that increases the prescribing limit for buprenorphine from 30 to 100 patients per waivered physician. Physicians should note the following parameters, as specified in the legislation: physicians who have had their waiver for no less than one year must notify the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services of their need and intent to treat up to 100 patients.
[Waivers and registering with the DEA]
Friday, December 8, 2006, the U.S. Senate approved Dr. Terry Cline, PhD, to serve as the next Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Dr. Cline is currently the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
As of January 2007, Medicaid will reimburse insurance claims for addiction screening and brief intervention services. Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems worked closely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in developing these codes. For more information regarding this new CMS policy, read Ensuring Solutions' September 7, 2006 press release.
A coalition of leading mental health organizations collaborated to produce the following resource on Medicare's new prescription drug benefit (Medicare "Part D"), www.mentalhealthpartd.org. Coalition (Mental Health Part D) partners include: the American Association of Community Psychiatrists, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, the National Mental Health Association, and Treatment Effectiveness Now.
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