Federal Legislation

CMHDA tracks federal legislation of relevance to local mental health directors and the communities they serve. The following links provides information on those issues that CMHDA has identified as high priority issues.

Federal Legislative and Public Policy Highlights

Health Care Reform: Implementation

• Bazelon Center For Mental Health Law, "Medicaid Reforms in the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act and the Health Care & Education Reconciliation Act" (July 7, 2010) (Link)
• Mental Health America Presentation, "Parity and Health Care Reform: Important Changes for Behavioral Health" (July 8, 2010) (PDF 106 KB)
• SAMHSA Presentation by John O'Brien: Recent Changes in Medicaid (June 23, 2010) (PDF 135 MB)
• Governor Schwarzenegger Takes Action to Implement Federal Health Care Reform in California (April 29, 2010) (PDF 43 KB)
• United Spinal Association and National Spinal Cord Injury Association "Impact of Health Care Reform on People with Disabilities (April 2010) (PDF 208 KB)
• The Common Wealth Fund, Health Care Reform Implementation: Health Insurance Provisions (April 1, 2010) (Link)
• The Common Wealth Fund, Health Care Reform Implementation: System and Delivery Reform Provisions (April 1, 2010) (Link)
• The Common Wealth Fund, Health Care Reform Implementation: Revenue Provisions (April 1, 2010) (Link)
• Georgetown University, Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families: Summary of Medicaid, CHIP, and Low-Income Provisions in Health Care Reform (April 2010) (Link)
• Georgetown University, Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families: Key Health Care Reform Dates for Children and Families (April 2010) (Link)
• Ron Manderscheid, NACBHDD Presentation, "Making National Health Reform Real at the County and Local Level" (April 9, 2010) (PDF 558 KB)
• CMS Guidance Letter re: Medicaid Expansion, "New Option for Coverage of Individuals under Medicaid" (April 9, 2010) (PDF 51 KB)
• The New Health Care Reform Law:  A Summary of Provisions of Interest to Mental Health Advocates - MHA San Francisco (April 2010) (PDF 38 KB)
• Kaiser Family Foundation, Focus on Health Reform: Summary of New Health Reform Law (March 26, 2010) (Link)
• Kaiser Family Foundation, Focus on Health Reform: Health Reform Implementation Timeline (March 26, 2010) (Link)
• Families USA, “Fact Sheet: Maintenance of Effort Requirements” (March 2010) (PDF 156 KB)
• Federal Health Care Reform Fact Sheets (March 2010) (Link)
• H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (March 31, 2010) (Link)
• President Signs HCR Bill Including SUD/MH Coverage (March 31, 2010) (PDF 23 KB)
• Health Care Reform Provisions Affecting County Priorities in HR 3590 and HR 4872 (Posted: March 24, 2010) (PDF 23 KB)
  

Health Care Reform: Background

• Kaiser Family Foundation, Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals" Webpage (URL Link)
• Kaiser Family Foundation, "Health Reform Implementation Timeline" Webpage (URL Link)
• Section-By-Section Analysis: H.R. 4872, The Health Care & Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (March 18, 2010) (PDF 264 KB)
• Coalition for Whole Health, "Healthcare Reform Letter to the Congressional Leadership" (January 12, 2010) (Posted: January 15, 2010) (Link)
• CSAC Health Reform Letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (January 15, 2010) (PDF 72 KB)
• CSAC Health Reform Letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (January 15, 2010) (PDF 72 KB)
• CSAC Comments, "County Thoughts on the Next Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver" (January 14, 2010) (PDF 27 KB)
• Side-by-Side Comparison:  NACo House-Senate Health Reform Legislation (December 24, 2009) (PDF 142 KB)
• Coalition For Whole Health, Side By Side Comparison of SUD/MH Provisions in the Health Care Reform Bills (Posted: December 11, 2009) (PDF 84 KB)
• HR 3590 (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) - Senate Manager’s Amendment: Section-by‐Section Analysis (December 2009) (PDF 468 KB)
  • HR 3590 (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) - Senate Manager’s Amendment: Full Text (December 2009) (PDF 374 KB)
  • Additional Information:  www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3590/show
• H.R. 4204 (Kennedy): Enhanced Act of 2009 (December 3, 2009) - Bill Summary and Full Text (Link
• Mental Health America (MHA) Webinar Presentation, “Health Reform and the States” (November 24, 2009) (PDF 336 KB)
• National Council Presentation, "Federal Health Care Reform Update" (October 20, 2009) (PDF 70 KB)
• CSAC Federal Reform Fact Sheets
  • CSAC Factsheet, "Federal Health Reform: Prevention and Wellness Provisions" (August 26, 2009) (PDF 48 KB)
  • Similarities between House and Senate Health Reforms Proposals (August 17, 2009) (PDF 69 KB)
  • Heatlh Reform Impacts on Medicaid (August 17, 2009) (PDF 41 KB)
• Kaiser Family Foundation Side-by-side of House & Senate Proposals (August 5, 2009) (Link)
• Governor Schwarzenegger's Letter to Congress on Health Care Reform (July 31, 2009) (PDF 67 KB)
• APHA Comparison of House Tri-Committee Proposal and Senate HELP Proposal (Updated: July 16, 2009) (Link)

Economic Stimulus

• Medicaid ARRA Letter (January 13, 2010) (PDF 3.2 MB)
• “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” Health Care Provisions” (Strategic Health Care, Feb. 23, 2009)
• CMHDA Summary: Federal Economic Stimulus Package (February 18, 2009) (PDF 111 KB)
  

Health Information Exchange

• CMHDA Letter to Rep. Patrick Kennedy, "HR 5040 HIT Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act - Support" (June 7, 2010) (PDF 22 KB)
• CMHDA Letter to House Energy and Commerce on Health Information Technologies (May 8, 2009) (PDF 39 KB)

 Mental Health Parity

• Mental Health America Presentation, "Parity and Health Care Reform: Important Changes for Behavioral Health" (July 8, 2010) (PDF 106 KB)
• CMHDA Submission Re: Interim Final Rules under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; Final Rule (April 28, 2010) (PDF 131 KB)
• Patton Boggs, LLP, Executive Summary of Parity Interim Final Rules Analysis (by request of the Parity Implementation Coalition) (April 2010) (Link)
• Mental Health Parity - Interim Regulation (February 2, 2010) (Link)
• APH Consulting Group, “Special Report: MHPAEA Regulations, Operational Analysis of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Interim Final Rule” (January 2010) (PDF 846 KB)
• Testimony of Patricia Ryan, “Challenges and Opportunities of Federal Mental Health Parity Implementation: Impact on California's Public Mental Health System” (October 6, 2009) (PDF 71 KB)
• AHP Behavioral Health Parity Series, White Paper #1: Environmental Scan Parity (June 2009) (PDF 600 KB)

Federal Resources

• Federal Legislative Bill Text (Link)
• CMHDA/National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) (Link)
• Legislative Letters and Alerts on Federal Legislaton (Link)

For More Information

• Patricia Ryan, MPA – Executive Director
  Contact for information pertaining to federal issues and the federal budget.
  pryan@cmhda.org