Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed legislation to reduce administrative barriers for behavioral health workers after the measure passed the state House and Senate with bipartisan support. The law requires a centralized credentialing platform for behavioral health providers, a step…
Government & Regulation
California’s push to implement new nurse-to-patient ratios at psychiatric hospitals has sparked widespread concern among hospital leaders and advocacy groups, who warn the rules could reduce an already limited psychiatric capacity, increase emergency department boarding and strain the behavioral health workforce. …
Pennsylvania issued Aetna a $550,000 fine following a market conduct exam that found violations in mental health parity laws, according to a March 3 commonwealth news release. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department reviewed Aetna’s activity from Oct. 1, 2021, through Dec.…
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued a legal opinion stating that a Texas state law banning gender-affirming medical care for minors applies to mental healthcare providers licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. The opinion finds that the…
Nevada identified insurer violations of mental health laws based on nonquantitative treatment limitations, according to a Dec. 31 report from the state’s insurance division. To better understand adherence to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, reviewers requested information…
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HHS’ Office for Civil Rights has begun enforcing confidentiality protections for substance use disorder patient records as part of President Donald Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative. The program, which launched Feb. 16, implements the substance use disorder confidentiality provision of…
The FDA has removed a consumer webpage warning about products falsely marketed as autism treatments, according to a ProPublica Feb. 18 report. HHS said it retired the page “during a routine clean up of dated content at the end of…
Under a bill proposed in February to the General Assembly, commercial health insurers in Illinois would be required to assist in paying the state $100 million, an estimated total to assist in covering behavioral health crisis services. The crisis resources…
The state of Ohio is directing $20 million to support six children’s wellness campuses across the state. The funds will be used to create four new child wellness campuses and expand two existing campuses. The facilities aim to provide short-term…
The Sonoma County (Calif.) Board of Supervisors has awarded $12.4 million to support mental health and homelessness services across the county. The approved funding includes $10 million from the county’s Measure O, a quarter-cent sales tax voters approved in 2020…