U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., introduced the bipartisan 988 Crisis Response Act Sept. 3 to fund professional mobile crisis response teams dispatched by 988 Lifeline operators as well as establish Medicaid reimbursement for crisis call centers and resources. The legislation…
Ella Ruder
Clinton, Ohio-based New Destiny Treatment Center owes $1.4 million to the Ohio Department of Medicaid following a compliance examination of selected behavioral health services from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2023, according to a report by Keith Faber, auditor…
Cannabis was detected in 21% of overdose deaths during January 2021–June 2025, according to the CDC’s Sept. 3 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The percentage was stable over time, but detection varied by age and was highest among adolescents aged…
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente is facing pushback from San Francisco, the first city to pass a resolution opposing the health system’s behavioral health contract demands related to AI, layoffs and outsourcing, according to a Sept. 1 report from the Board…
University of Virginia Health System researchers in Charlottesville, Va., found preliminary evidence that low-intensity focused ultrasound and vagus nerve stimulation could help reduce drug and alcohol cravings for individuals with substance use disorder. Researchers at the UVA Center for Neuromodulation…
Advertisement
In 2024, overall overdose deaths fell 27% in the U.S., dropping from 105,007 deaths in 2023 to 79,384 deaths in 2024, according to a Sept. 3 report from The Commonwealth Fund. Provisional data show approximately 70,000 deaths in 2025. The findings…
The Lindsay Clancy case has shone a spotlight on maternal mental healthcare. Ms. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her three children, The New York Times…
Behavioral health patients often wait longer than other emergency department patients for a bed. Along the way, patients may end up receiving care in the most expensive setting available, or experiencing distress in an often-hectic environment. Now, health systems are…
The California Legislature passed Senate Bill 903, which would prohibit AI algorithms from providing or advertising therapy or psychotherapy in California, according to an Aug. 31 news release from Sen. Steve Padilla’s office. Here are three things to know: 1.…
The CDC predicts 67,798 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during the 12 months ending in March 2026, a 12.3% decrease compared to the same time period in the previous year, according to an Aug. 31 news release from the…