FY 2020 annual report

A Y E A R L I K E N O O T H E R 13 Since mid-March, NJAMHAA has re- mained relentless in its federal advo- cacy, adding to its priorities: a request for $38.5 billion for behavioral health organizations in the next COVID relief package; a waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to permit Medicaid retainer payments; amendments to the Paycheck Protec- tion Program and Mid-Size Business Loan program to expand eligibility to nonprofits with more than 500 employ- ees; expansion of Medicare telehealth to allow audio-only services; and a rec- ognition of behavioral health providers as essential healthcare workers with equal priority for essential resources, including personal protective equip- ment (PPE). NJAMHAA was successful in seeing the last two priorities implemented – audio-only services are now permitted by Medicare and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis- tration wrote a letter solely for the pur- pose of specifying that all behavioral health providers are essential health- care workers. Other successes are on the horizon, as additional funding and amendments to the loan programs are in the most recent COVID relief pack- age introduced by the House in May. NJAMHAA will continue its advocacy to see those provisions and more signed into law. As NJAMHAA fights for COVID-related resources and policies, other important federal advocacy efforts continue, with several pieces of legislation being added to NJAMHAA’s federal priorities list, including: The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act and the Medicaid Re-entry Act, among others. • Co-sponsor and support immediate passage of S.824/H.R.1767, the “Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act”, to extend and expand the CCBHC demonstration program. • Amend Public Law 115-271, the 2018 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act) to ensure that evidence- based counseling and behavioral therapies are included in MAT funding packages. • Support S.1122/H.R.1109, the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2019, to provide access to school-based comprehensive mental health programs. • Support H.R.2569/S.1365, the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2019. • Support H.R.2431, the “Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2019” and H.R.2439, the “Opioid Workforce Act of 2019”. • Support H.R.2848, The Parity Enforcement Act of 2019, to strengthen parity in the provision of mental health and substance use disorder treatment benefits. • Support H.R.1884, the “Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019”, to improve affordability of, undo sabotage with respect to, and increase access to health insurance coverage, and for other purposes. N J A M H A A ’ s H i l l D a y 2 0 1 9