News Mashup for November 2020
California’s Behavioral Health Care System for Children Receives Poor Grades
The non-profit Children Now released 2020 California Children Children’s Report Card in November painting a not-so-rosy picture of the State’s progress in providing behavioral health care to children and teens. Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, argues that “in most areas, from mental health to childcare to caring professionals at schools to education supports for students in foster care, the state has failed to put kids first in policymaking.” Specific to behavioral health care, the report asserts that the “the current patchwork of policies, siloed funding streams, lack of coordination among agencies and levels of government, burdensome administrative complexity, and diagnosis-driven treatment models prevent many California children from being deemed eligible to receive crucial services.” In a companion report, A Behavioral Health Policy Agenda for California’s Kids, Children Now advocates for policy reforms that target community investment, individual service support, community education, and data-sharing. Click on the links below to learn more.
Children Now (2020) California’s Children’s Report Card. Oakland, California. Retrieved December 9, 2020 from https://www.childrennow.org/reports/.
Children Now (2020) A Behavioral Health Policy Agenda for California’s Kids. Oakland, California. Retrieved December 9, 2020 from https://www.childrennow.org/portfolio-posts/behavioral-health-policy-agenda/.
Francis, L. (2020, November 24) Opinion: What California Must Do for Kids’ Mental Health. California Health Report. Retrieved December 9, 2020 from https://www.calhealthreport.org/2020/11/24/what-california-must-do-for-kids-mental-health/.
Telehealth Mental Health Services for Children Becoming Mainstream
The Child Mind Institute recently released a Children’s Mental Health Report entitled Telehealth in an Increasingly Virtual World that reviews the rapidly evolving status of telehealth usage in pediatric mental health care. Although the concept of telehealth as a means to increase access to care has been around for decades, acceptance and implementation has accelerated dramatically in the face of the stay-at-home orders necessitated by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. While virtual appointments can raise challenges (lack broadband access; threats to privacy and data security; lack of community knowledge), the authors contend that families, providers, and insurers are increasingly open to the use of telehealth services. A variety of therapeutic successes can be pointed to in cognitive behavioral therapy, autism assessment, and in treating eating disorders and ADHD. The report includes discussion of recent legislative efforts to diminish legal/insurance hurdles, and notes that all 50 states now have some form of Medicaid reimbursement for telehealth sessions. Click on the links below to learn more.
Martinelli, K., Cohen, Y., Kimball, H., and Sheldon-Dean,H. (2020) Children’s Mental Health Report: Telehealth in an Increasingly Virtual World.” New York, New York: Child Mind Institute, Retrieved on November 5, 2020 from https://childmind.org/our-impact/childrens-mental-health-report/2020-childrens-mental-health-report/.
Child Mind Institute (2020, October 26) New 2020 Children’s Mental Health Report and Telehealth Survey Results. citybizlist. New York, New York. Retrieved on November 5, 2020 from https://citybizlist.com/article/635482/new-2020-childrens-mental-health-report-and-telehealth-survey-results.
Rule Update to Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Managed Care
On November 9, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated managed care regulations for Medicare and CHIP aimed to minimize administrative burdens, improve beneficiary outcomes, and facilitate state priorities. The 2020 update is in response to state and stakeholder feedback on the CMS 2016 Managed Care Final Rule, which was deemed overly prescriptive, incurring heavy administrative and cost burdens on state programs. Significant regulatory revisions for CHIP include changes in:
Network Adequacy Standards
Quality Rating System
Appeals and Grievances
Requirements for Beneficiary Information
In related news, CMS issued an update to its Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System on November 18. The update provides a “more robust and evolving collection of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) data” for use by researchers, policy-makers, and oversight agencies. Currently these programs serve more than 75 million low-income Americans. Click on the links below to learn more.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2020, November 9) Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Managed Care Final Rule- CMS-2408-F. [Fact Sheet] Baltimore, Maryland. Retrieved November 9, 2020 from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicaid-childrens-health-insurance-program-chip-managed-care-final-rule-cms-2408-f.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2020, November 18) Medicaid and CHIP T-MSIS Analytic Files Data Release. [Fact Sheet] Baltimore, Maryland. Retrieved November 9, 2020 from https://www.cms.gov/index.php/newsroom/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-medicaid-and-chip-t-msis-analytic-files-data-release.
California Proposition 56 Programs Risk Suspension in FY 2020/2021 Budget
The California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act (Proposition 56) was passed by the voters in November 2016. Proposition 56 provides critical funds for children’s mental health under Medi-Cal, including, but not limited to, provisions for developmental and trauma screening, preventive services, and specialized care. A Fact Sheet released by Children Now in November enumerates the positive impacts of Prop 56 funding, but warns that although close to “ 1 billion in Proposition 56-funded payments (and matched by federal funds) are allocated to supporting various Medi-Cal providers in the FY 2020-21 budget….nearly all of these payments could be suspended on July 1, 2021.” Every program is at risk with the exception of those for women’s health, family planning, and the Loan Repayment Program. Click on the link below to learn more.
Children Now (2020, November) Proposition 56 Funds Are a Critical Support for Children’s Health in Medi-Cal. [Fact Sheet] Retrieved November 19, 2020 from https://www.childrennow.org/portfolio-posts/prop-56-fact-sheet/.
