EHR Incentive Funding for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Treatment Providers
Netsmart continues to advocate for inclusion of health IT funding for providers in upcoming Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) financing demonstration programs. Our advocacy included meetings with CMMI Deputy Director Amy Bassano and Dr. Don Rucker, National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and his key staff to provide information and recommendations. EHRs and related technology, including e-prescribing and the ability to exchange clinical data with acute-care providers, is essential to the success and outcomes measure for the MAT demonstration programs.
Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 824/H.R. 1767)
Netsmart joins the National Council for Behavioral Health and other key associations in advocating for passage of this legislation, which would renew the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration program in the original eight states for two years and expand to 11 additional states. CCBHCs increase access to mental health and substance use treatment services and provide evidence-based, person-centered care with significant results.
Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act (H.R. 2062) and Protecting Jessica Grubb's Legacy Act (S. 1012)
This legislation would closely align decades-old 42 CFR Part 2 federal privacy regulations with HIPAA, enable fully-informed care and increase patient safety by sharing a person’s substance use treatment records among their care providers, including in integrated care settings like HIEs and health systems with multiple divisions. It increases privacy protections and levies higher penalties for information breaches. Netsmart is a key participant in the Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 in advocacy for passage of these bills.
Healthcare Innovation Showcase
Netsmart was one of just 40 companies selected to participate in the first-ever Healthcare Innovation Showcase, held in early March on Capitol Hill. An initiative of the Health Care Innovation Caucus and attended by members of Congress, staff and federal agencies, the event featured products and ideas that seek to transform or disrupt different segments of the health care industry.
Netsmart demonstrated how our CareManager solution provides real-time alerts and event notifications from the hospital to an individual’s behavioral health or substance use disorder treatment provider at the time of the Emergency Department (ED) visit. ED clinicians receive complete physical and behavioral health data needed for fully-informed diagnosis and care. Through CareManager, they can facilitate real-time referrals from the ED to an appropriate mental health or SUD treatment provider.