FY2025-Annual-Report

14 Meeting Challenges Head On In addition to advocating for significant federal funding, NJAMHAA is constantly working at the federal level to impact laws and regulatory rules. With the fall 2024 focus on the November election and the new Administration coming on in January, there has been very little legislative action. As to federal regulations, the most relevant actions are either pending new rules or rescission of rules finalized by the prior Administration. The latter includes the parity enforcement rule issued in September 2024. A lawsuit was brought against the rule and the current Administration had until May 12th to decide whether to defend it or not. Instead, they asked for and obtained a pause in the lawsuit while they reconsider the rule with no enforcement in the meantime. NJAMHAA had submitted comments on the rule on several occasions and will continue to advocate strongly for improved parity enforcement at the state and federal levels. NJAMHAA’s advocacy never pauses. NJAMHAA has met this spring with several members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation and is continuing to schedule with all others. NJAMHAA’s federal agenda is broad. It includes, of course, requests to protect Medicaid, Social Security Disability, Social Security Insurance, SNAP and other safety net programs, but also focuses on: the Institutions of Mental Disease (IMD) Exclusion; parity; Medicare lifetime limits; and legislation supporting re-entry services, peers and reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act, a critical statute on opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services. “ NJAMHAA is such a wonderful resource for community-based healthcare providers in New Jersey, providing relevant information, advocacy, and support that is at the forefront of a rapidly changing field. NJAMHAA consistently equips providers with the in-depth knowledge they require to fully understand the impact of changes within the behavioral health field, and is always there to assist providers throughout the continuum of care. ” Regina Widdows, MA President and CEO SERV Behavioral Health System, Inc.