Here are five federal healthcare updates affecting the behavioral health sector, as reported by Becker's since April 2:

Medicaid beneficiaries must be able to see a behavioral health or substance use provider within 10 days of requesting an appointment, under new CMS rules. 

The Biden administration released the latest national strategy for suicide prevention along with the first-ever federal action plan to address the U.S.' mental health crisis.

A group representing large employers is launching a full-court press against proposed mental health parity standards, Politico reported April 22. 

California has selected Elevance Health's Carelon Behavioral Health as the administrative services organization for the state's Child and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, Open Minds reported in March.

Behavioral telehealth company Cerebral will pay over $7 million of a $15 million settlement to resolve an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission into its privacy practices. 

Any action to extend telehealth flexibilities from behavioral health will likely wait until the end of the year, KFF Health News reported April 10. 

CMS finalized new rules requiring Medicare Advantage plans to maintain adequate numbers of outpatient behavioral health providers in their networks. 

CMS is adding two new measures to the 2026 Medicare Advantage Star ratings display page based on the 2024 measurement year.

Inpatient psychiatric facilities could see $70 million more in Medicare payments in 2025. 

Congress cannot allow telehealth flexibilities for behavioral health implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to expire, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. 

President Joe Biden's $7.3 trillion proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 includes several investments in mental health and substance use treatment. 

President Joe Biden's mental health priorities include toughening mental health coverage standards for insurers and funding community providers. 

CMS will allow more types of behavioral providers to receive Medicaid funding. 

New York is proposing appointment wait time standards and network adequacy requirements for behavioral healthcare. 

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing the state ban prior authorization for inpatient mental healthcare for children and adults. 

Maryland has selected Elevance Health's Carelon to administer mental health and substance use disorder services under its public behavioral health system, which is currently administered by UnitedHealth's Optum. Optum did not submit a bid to be considered for the new contract.

HHS is introducing new flexibilities designed to make telehealth treatment for opioid use disorder easier to access and adding new rules aimed at improving confidentiality. 

HHS will implement new rules designed to improve confidentiality for patients receiving treatment for substance use disorder and integrate records for these treatments with standard medical records. 

A lawsuit against Washington County, Ore., is alleging that the county did not provide equal access to emergency services for people with mental health needs.