ASAM responds to a Request For Information (RFI) released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding their new direction for innovation.

On behalf of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG), we are writing to express our opposition of specific provisions within the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, particularly the provisions repealing the Affordable Care Act’s individual shared responsibility mandate and the House’s provision repealing the medical expense deduction. 

The Mental Health Liaison Group is writing to express support the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1950/H.R.3931) -  legislation to expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) demonstration program authorized in Section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act that is based on your Excellence in Mental Health Act.

ASAM commends CMS for issuing this new guidance which expands access to care and requires states to align their section 1115(a) demonstrations with certain goals and milestones.

The Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) strongly supports the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety (OPPS) Act, which would align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of health care treatment, payment, and operations (TPO).

Yesterday, President Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Epidemic held its fifth and final meeting during which the commission approved its final report to the president.

ASAM joined a coalition letter expressing support for the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act of 2017 and leading bipartisan efforts to provide stabilization to the health insurance marketplace. 

ASAM issued a letter of support for H.R. 4097, the Medicare Beneficiary Opioid Addiction Treatment Act, sponsored by Rep. Richard Neal. This legislation would modify the Medicare Part B program to permit Medicare coverage of methadone as an outpatient treatment for addiction. Currently, Medicare only covers methadone for inpatient use when used for addiction and is contrary to ASAM’s policy recommending that all public and private payers provide insurance coverage for the treatment of opioid addiction.