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COMMERCIAL INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND SUD SERVICES MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH COVERAGE UNDER THE NYS MEDICAID PROGRAM
There is a disparate availability of critical services to address the youth mental health crisis in New York. This has resulted in persistent waiting lists for outpatient and home-based care that range from several weeks to many months with some children and youth forced to live in hospital emergency rooms while awaiting an appropriate referral for follow-up care upon discharge from the hospital. The NYS Council urges the state to require regulated commercial insurance and child health plus to provide coverage for children’s mental health and SUD services consistent with coverage under the NY Medicaid Program. Examples of mental health services currently available to Medicaid beneficiaries but not mandated to be covered by commercial insurance include HCBS and CFTSS services.
NYS COUNCIL PUBLIC POLICY CALL FOCUSES ON
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
The January 30 NYS Council Member Support and Public Policy Call featured Rosie Dawn Griffin, a partner at Feldesman Leifer, LLP, with a strong background in immigration law. Ms. Griffin provided information and practical (informal) advice to NYS Council members as they prepare for the possibility of an unannounced ‘visit’ from federal immigration enforcement officials who are increasingly showing up at healthcare and other settings across New York.
The call was recorded and a copy of the recording is available in the “members only” Archived Events section of the website.
DEA AND HHS ISSUE FINAL TELEMEDICINE RULE FOR BUPRENORPHINE ACCESS
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), together with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), finalized telemedicine flexibility regulations for the prescribing of medications for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine. The final rule, which goes into effect on February 18, 2025, makes permanent the buprenorphine-related telemedicine flexibilities that DEA and HHS had extended through the end of 2025.
The DEA has ruled that a patient can receive up to six months of buprenorphine (may be split into multiple prescriptions totaling six months) by telehealth. At the end of six months, the patient MUST be seen for an in-person medical evaluation. A patient who was previously seen for an in-person medical evaluation is exempt.
Additional details are available at Buprenorphine Telemedicine Prescribing: Questions and Answers.
GOVERNOR RELEASES SFY2026 EXECUTIVE BUDGET PROPOSALS
Governor Kathy Hochul recently released her SFY 2026 Executive Budget, totaling $252 billion, an increase in spending by 3.6% from the current year budget. The proposed spending proposal for the 2025-26 fiscal year enacts the Governor’s Affordability Agenda which she outlined the vision of during her State of the State Address last week. The Executive Budget proposes to extend until 2032 a 10.9% tax on the highest earners in our State (those earning $25 million or more), first enacted in 2020 and set to expire this year. The Governor has already announced a $3 billion rebate check ranging from $300-$500 for those making up to $300,000 and the budget released today includes a middle class tax cut for joint filers making $323,000 or less, a child care tax credit capped at $1000 and free breakfast and lunch for public schoolchildren.
NYS Council members can read more about the specific health and mental hygiene proposals from our Communications webpage.