Mental health services are often partially funded with federal money, whether through grants or federal health care plans. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) updated its guidance clarifying how...more
Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in health care regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies,...more
On February 1, 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a final rule revising 42 CFR Part 8, which regulates opioid treatment programs (OTPs). The final rule is the first update to...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released its anticipated Final Rule last week. The Final Rule revises...more
After more than a year since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued the proposed changes to the...more
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office for Civil Rights recently issued a Final Rule amending the Confidentiality of...more
This month, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), in conjunction with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”), issued a Second Temporary Rule further extending the telemedicine waivers...more
Reversing previously proposed rules, the DEA recently issued new guidance allowing the continued use of telehealth when prescribing controlled substances following the end of the Covid-19 public health emergency (“PHE”)....more
As we emerge from the COVID health emergency, there is widespread agreement that Americans are suffering from inadequate access to mental health care. To shore up community mental health systems, on 23 March 2023, the...more
Lawmakers unveiled their long-awaited $1.7 trillion government funding package on Dec. 20, 2022. As of publishing, it seems likely that a vote on final passage in the U.S. Senate will occur at some point on Dec. 22, with a...more
On March 6, 2021, the U.S. Senate narrowly passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, by a 50-49 vote, along entirely partisan lines. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) missed the vote after joining with all Republicans on...more
In the early morning of Feb. 27, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, by a 219-212 vote. Two Democrats joined with a united Republican caucus to oppose the...more
On July 13, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the adoption of revised Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations in an effort to improve care...more
Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services (OMHAS) has issued guidance to support Ohio opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak....more
This week’s episode is the second in an ongoing series focusing on recent efforts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to update 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (Part 2) regulations related to the...more
This episode is the first in a series focusing on recent efforts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to update 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (Part 2) regulations related to the confidentiality of...more
The OIG added six new items to its Work Plan in the July 2018 update. Areas addressed include HHS cybersecurity vulnerabilities, increased payments for transfer claims with outliers, oversight of funds for Access Increases in...more
In response to the opioid crisis, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) recently issued two fact sheets to provide clarity on...more
On January 3, 2018, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a final rule to revise 42 CFR Part 2, the federal regulations governing confidentiality of certain substance abuse patients'...more
On January 3, 2018, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”) published a final rule (“Final Rule”) to further update the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations...more