Government & Regulation

HHS will bar immigrants without legal citizenship status from accessing many federal mental health and substance use disorder programs.  In a July 10 news release, the agency said it will exclude undocumented individuals from federal public benefit programs. Previously, immigrants…

Palmer, Alaska-based Mat-Su Regional Medical Center is planning to build a $75M freestanding behavioral health facility, Frontiersman reported July 10.  The 45-bed facility will include 27 adult beds and 18 adolescent beds. Mat-Su Regional Medical Center has submitted a certificate…

New York has implemented new regulations for insurers designed to improve access to mental health services.  According to a July 8 news release from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the regulations took effect July 1 for Medicaid plans. For commercial…

Mental health providers and advocacy organizations are warning steep cuts to Medicaid will harm access to behavioral health services.  On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. The sprawling spending package will cut…

Despite recent Senate passage of the Big Beautiful Bill Act, which, among other things, seeks to reduce behavioral healthcare spending, state lawmakers are expanding access to mental healthcare and investing in behavioral health workforces.  Here are six state mental health…

For years, we’ve worked closely with independent physician groups across the country—OB/GYNs in Tennessee, retina specialists in the Midwest, mental health clinics on the coasts. Again and again, we see the same thing: contracts from Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, particularly…

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a pair of bills investing in mental health access in the state June 25.  Here are five things to know: 

Texas is set to become the first state to develop its own psychologist licensing exam, The Texas Tribune reported June 24.  Here are five things to know:  Read more here. 

Proposed Medicaid work requirements include some exceptions for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, but questions remain about how these exceptions would be implemented, according to a June 23 report from KFF.  In May, the House passed…

Proposed legislation would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct proactive outreach to veterans with mental health-related service-connected disabilities.  The legislation, introduced June 10 by U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski and Chuck Edwards, would require the VA to reach out…