The Kennedy Forum

We love to see our national strategies in action! CMS proposed a rule that would make it easier for people leaving incarceration to enroll in and use Medicare coverage. This reflects one of our national strategy recommendations that calls for public assistance for people during a crucial window of reentry to set them up for success. Thanks to our friends at the Legal Action Center and Justice in Aging whose leadership was instrumental in this progress! To see the full list of our strategies, click here: https://lnkd.in/eYe3qw9C

Prior authorization requirements can cause obstacles to accessing care for mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD). Our Senior Director of Policy, Lauren Finke, contributed her expertise to a report with findings and recommendations on how to improve the prior authorization process.

“We ought to be intervening with coordinated care and specialty care ... We may not prevent every single problem, but we could do so, so much better than we are doing today if we take a public health approach." In his recent interview with WGN Radio, Our Co-Founder Patrick J. Kennedy addresses how we must take a unified approach to preventing and treating mental health, which is a public health issue that should be treated as such. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eKHH42aB

Over the last 2 years, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has helped more than 10 million people find the help they need through texts, calls, and chats. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has invested nearly $1.5 billion as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to address the nation’s mental health and substance use crises. These meaningful outcomes are years in the making. TKF is proud to have sponsored one of the nation's first 988 bills. You can also read our 988 policy guide that includes model MH/SUD crisis coverage requirements here: https://lnkd.in/gmJpVbFS

"People in vital jobs are very underpaid and under-reimbursed compared to many of the jobs you can have in health care.” In this interview with Chief Policy Officer Nathaniel Counts, we explore what’s often missing from the conversation when we talk about the shortage of mental health and substance use providers — and what we stand to lose if core imbalances aren't corrected. https://lnkd.in/eB2Y7e5d

We're glad to have Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services (TPAS) join the Alignment for Progress commitment-maker project. TPAS supports professionals working to ensure patients can continue their recovery after treatment.

Our Chief Policy Officer, Nathaniel Counts’s article connects the dots between data and action when it comes to parity. Newly available data presents researchers, clinicians and advocates with the opportunity to identify gaps in coverage and ensure children have access to life-saving mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) care.

The lack of parity for mental health/SUD coverage is adding fuel to the fire of the current mental health crisis: “Prior authorizations, for example, can delay the initiation of care at the 'critical moment' when a person with an SUD needs treatment. “’Our study shows that most states allow their contracted [Medicaid managed care organizations] to conduct utilization review with almost no state rules or oversight,’” Grogan said. https://lnkd.in/e4iWz92T The Kennedy Forum has resources for citizens and policymakers to advance the cause of mental health care and to access coverage https://lnkd.in/etaTm639

PARITY NEWS: The U.S. Department of Labor submitted its final rule to enhance enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. It's a huge step toward equitable mental health/substance use disorder care, which we've worked for since 2013! https://bit.ly/3zqPIU2

PARITY NEWS: The U.S. Department of Labor submitted its final rule to enhance enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. It's a huge step toward equitable mental health/substance use disorder care, which we've worked for since 2013! https://bit.ly/3zqPIU2