National Council Member to Testify at Senate Hearing, Telehealth a Focus in Congress

BREAKING NEWS

On February 15, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a second Youth Mental Health hearing featuring National Council member Seacoast Mental Health Center of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, represented by Jodie L. Lubarsky, MA, LCMHC. The Committee held its first hearing (summary) on Youth Mental Health this week, hosting U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Dr. Murthy spoke about his recent public health advisory “Protecting Youth Mental Health” and emphasized access to high quality, affordable health care and prevention.

Main Stories:

• Hearing on Health Equity Gaps Highlights Need for Telehealth Capabilities Post-Pandemic
• HHS Announces New SUD in Pregnant and Postpartum People Reports and Grant Program
• DOL Awards Funding to Three States to Support Workers Impacted by Opioid Epidemic
• Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Telehealth Access in Medicare

Hearing on Health Equity Gaps Highlights Need for Telehealth Capabilities Post-Pandemic

Last week, the House Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health, held a hearing to discuss ways to bridge equity gaps in health care treatment and coverage for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. Members focused their attention toward permanently extending certain telehealth and telemedicine capabilities to ensure that current flexibilities do not expire at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Click here for a summary of this hearing.

HHS Announces New Substance Use Disorder in Pregnant and Postpartum People Reports and Grant Program

Two new reports released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Integrating Substance Use Disorder and OB/GYN Care highlight how evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies can benefit people who use substances during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as their children. Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has opened the application period for a grant program to provide pregnant and postpartum people and their children with comprehensive substance use treatment and recovery services through residential and outpatient care. The grant program will also extend to services for fathers, partners, and other family members.

DOL Awards Funding to Three States to Support Workers Impacted by Opioid Epidemic

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced $6 million in awards to three state labor departments to help create temporary jobs and training to reintegrate workers into communities where the opioid epidemic has caused social and economic impacts. Notably, the states will use the funding to train and employ individuals for peer recovery positions. WorkForce West Virginia has been awarded $2.4 million, the Maine Department of Labor has been awarded $2 million, and the New York State Department of Labor has been awarded $1.8 million. The funding is administered through the Opioid Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants and supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Telehealth Access in Medicare

This week, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Todd Young (R-IN) unveiled bipartisan legislation, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act. The Act is aimed at temporarily extending certain telehealth services under the Medicare program and evaluating the impact of telehealth services on Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 PHE. Click here to read an analysis of this legislation.

ADVOCACY CORNER

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HAPPENING ON THE HILL

House Passes a Stopgap Funding Bill. This week, the House passed another stopgap funding bill to extend government funding to March 11, 2022. The bill will now go to the Senate for a vote.