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Parity for Consumers: What We Learned, and Where We Go from Here
State and federal parity laws help end decades of discriminatory insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse services by insurance companies. Historically, families with mental illness have faced terrible choices, from skipping care altogether to facing bankruptcy to pay for it. In New...
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The NYSPA Report – Medicaid, Behavioral Healthcare, and the 2011 NYS Budget: Taking Stock
There can be no question that 2011 has been a tough budget year all around, including in New York State. The end of the legislative session provides an opportune time to take stock and see where we are. When our new governor, Andrew Cuomo, took office in January, New York State was facing a $10.5...
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Mental Health in Health Care Reform: High Hopes but Big Battles Ahead
Federal health care reform promises health coverage for most of the 50 million American citizens and documented immigrants who are currently uncovered. This will include coverage of mental health and substance abuse treatment. It also promises improved quality of physical and behavioral health...
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An Overview of Timothy’s Law: Past, Present, and Future
Like many structural shifts in public policy, it often takes a horrific tragedy to move us to do the right thing. Case in point-Timothy’s Law. Named after Timothy O’Clair, a 12-year old boy who committed suicide shortly before his thirteenth birthday, the law requires that insurance companies...
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How Health Care Reform Affects Providers and Consumers
Health Care reform has been vigorously debated. Many have attributed the deficiencies in the health care system to various causes including Lack of Access (48 million citizens without insurance), overuse of unnecessary, high cost tests and procedures, underuse of prevention, early intervention...
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The NYSPA Report: Achieving the Promise of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA, the Parity Act) ushered in a new era for health insurance coverage for mental health and substance use (mh/sud) disorders. The foundation for this was laid by the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, and, significantly, the Patient...
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The Economics of Recovery: System Reform
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Team gathered an impressive list of suggestions to stem the growth of New York’s 50+ billion dollar Medicaid program. I was particularly impressed with their adoption of the 80/20 concept developed by business marketers in the 70’s....
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The Economics of Recovery: System Reform
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Team gathered an impressive list of suggestions to stem the growth of New York’s 50+ billion dollar Medicaid program. I was particularly impressed with their adoption of the 80/20 concept developed by business marketers in the 70’s....
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The NYSPA Report: New York State Psychiatric Association’s 2011 Legislative Agenda
Presenting the New York State Psychiatric Association’s legislative agenda for the 2011 session in Albany represents more of a challenge than usual because the governor’s budget proposal will be presented after the writing of this report and the printing of this issue of Mental Health News....
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The Economics of Recovery: Who’s Driving the Bus?
There appears to be an incredible variety of people guiding our journey of recovery; elected and career government officials, all manner of professionals, academics, health insurers, providers, family, labor unions, big pharma, etc. If recovery takes a village – then it seems they all made it on...
