Tennessee is the ninth state to begin granting privileges to licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines through the Counseling Compact. Under the compact, participating states recognize eligible counselors’ home-state licenses, much like states recognize driver’s licenses issued elsewhere,…
Government & Regulation
Federal lawmakers have introduced or revived several bills this year aimed at expanding access to addiction and mental health treatment, from new Medicare coverage for residential opioid treatment to permanent funding for community behavioral health clinics. Here are eight to…
South Carolina failed to ensure that insurers administering its Medicaid program complied with federal requirements prohibiting stricter prior authorization limits on mental health services compared to medical services, an audit report published Sept. 8 by the HHS Office of Inspector…
The FDA has taken a string of actions in recent months that could reshape how substance use disorders, ADHD and other behavioral health conditions are treated in the years ahead. From clearing a novel alcohol use disorder drug for trials…
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…
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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 Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily placed three 7-hydroxymitragynine-related substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, effective Aug. 26. The substances are mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16. The temporary order remains effective until Aug. 26, 2028. DEA based the…
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and Optum, seeking $380 million in damages stemming from alleged issues administering a Medicaid behavioral health program. “Marylanders in crisis and the providers who care for them rely…
Arizona failed to ensure that insurers administering its Medicaid program complied with federal requirements prohibiting stricter prior authorization limits on mental health services compared to medical services, an audit report published Aug. 24 by the HHS Office of Inspector General…
New York’s Medicaid program failed to ensure that insurers administering the program were not denying prior authorization requests for mental health services at higher rates than for medical services, an audit report published Aug. 14 by the HHS Office of…