September 13, 2025
ACTION ALERT: WEIGH IN TODAY!
We’re halfway through September, and Congress only has until the end of the month to pass spending bills to avert a government shutdown.
It’s not enough to simply demand that Congress approve funding for human needs programs; they must ensure those funds are used in the way they were intended. So far, Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought have cancelled or frozen more than $410 billion in funding for programs, including over $1 billion in substance use and mental health treatment, $250 million for school-based mental health grants (impacting over 200 programs in 30 states), $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, $1.7 billion from programs that help communities transition to clean energy, $311 million to develop preschool programs, and $70 million from legal services that help unaccompanied children.1
The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse to allocate funds, and it must be used now to ensure adequate funding of our communities. Congress must include enforceable language in any final funding agreements that ensures a deal is truly a deal—so that the funding included in bipartisan spending bills passed by Congress reaches communities and people it is intended to serve.
Send a message to Congress today. Demand they protect important programs in your community by including explicit language in government funding bills that ensures the Trump administration spends the funds allocated by Congress.
SEND A MESSAGE
Donald Trump and OMB Director Russell Vought are holding up $410 billion in funding, violating federal law. According to the House Appropriations Ranking member, Rosa DeLauro:2
“While Republicans passed a bill to take away health care coverage from more than 15 million people, including seniors, and to cause a million kids to go hungry, President Trump and Russ Vought have been stealing resources promised to working Americans in every part of the country. They are cheating families all while giving big corporations and billionaires trillions of dollars in new tax breaks.
“As the courts and a key nonpartisan watchdog have repeatedly concluded, this administration’s disregard for our nation’s spending laws and Congress’ power of the purse has touched every corner of our country. Children in elementary schools have been denied resources they need to succeed, farmers and rural communities have been left to fend for themselves, and communities have been robbed of resources to keep people safe. President Trump and Russ Vought have stripped hope away from cancer patients and single-handedly decided to make the cost-of-living crisis even worse for working families.”
This is not how our legislative process is supposed to work. We must stand up to actions by this administration that are harming our communities.
Join us in calling on Congress to assert its power of the purse and make sure critical programs are funded now.
Thank you for all you do,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action
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Happening on the Hill
On Sept. 9, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and advanced on a party line vote the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (bill text and report language).
The House proposal does not reflect the administration’s announced restructuring of HHS to create an Administration for a Healthy America, noting that appropriators look forward to working with authorizing committees of jurisdiction to consider the proposal.
The House bill does include reductions and eliminations across some mental health and substance use programs, as well as some proposed increases, such as:
$385M (level) for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)
$2.013B (+$5M) for Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant
$1.017B (+$10M) for Community Mental Health Services Block Grant
$1.575B (level) for State Opioid Response grants
$0 (eliminates) Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT)
$126M (-$13M) for Project AWARE
$519M (level) for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The bill now awaits consideration in the full chamber. As a reminder, lawmakers need to come to a federal funding agreement before Oct. 1. Appropriators are discussing the length of a continuing resolution, potentially into mid-November, to provide stopgap funding until funding bills can be negotiated and passed. The administration has called for a longer-term continuing resolution through Jan. 31. Discussion on the hill has also included extending the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits that will otherwise expire at the end of the year. (SOURCE: NATIONAL COUNCIL)
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Lunch & Learn: The Current Opioids Policy Landscape & What’s Ahead
Joshua M. Sharfstein Brendan Saloner
September 17, 2025
In September 2025, Health Affairs will publish a theme issue on the opioid crisis, adding new empirical research articles, perspectives, and policy proposals for addressing opioid misuse and addiction to the national dialogue around opioid use disorders.
On September 17, Health Affairs will host a free, virtual event with Joshua Sharfstein, MD, and Brendan Saloner, PhD, discussing the current opioids policy landscape and what lies ahead.
Joshua Sharfstein, MD, is the vice dean for public health practice and community engagement and director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Previously, he served as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City. Sharfstein works to develop and promote public health strategies, health care payment approaches, and regulatory policies that advance health and equity. In 2019, he co-authored the book, “The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know.”
Brendan Saloner, PhD, is a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University School of Public Health. At Brown, he is a critical member for its Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. His work focuses on overdose and opioid substance use disorders. Saloner was an issue advisor for Health Affairs’ theme issue on opioids.
Date: September 17
Time: 2-3 pm ET
If you have accessibility or support requirements in order to participate fully in this event, please contact events@healthaffairs.org to ensure that we can arrange reasonable accommodations.
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NYS Announces Intention to Terminate Essential Plan Waiver, Revert to Basic Health Plan 1331 Authority – September 10, 2025
Source: Sachs Policy Group, 9/11/25
On September 10th, Governor Hochul announced her intention to terminate New York’s 1332 State Innovation Waiver that had expanded eligibility for the Essential Plan. This action is expected to allow New York to access a reserve fund frozen during the waiver to replace federal funding lost as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
The Essential Plan is a health insurance option for adults aged 19 to 64 with incomes too high for Medicaid, or those with lower incomes but who are ineligible for Medicaid (e.g., certain immigrants). The Essential Plan has no monthly premium, no deductible, and minimal cost-sharing for enrollees.
In 2015, New York State first created the Essential Plan as a Basic Health Plan (BHP) authorized under Section 1331 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2024, the federal government approved the State’s request to switch to a 1332 State Innovation Waiver and replace the BHP with a mirror plan. This plan, also called the Essential Plan, expanded the upper income eligibility limit from 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 250% of FPL (a group also known as EP5). New York’s waiver was later amended to distribute cost-sharing reduction subsidies (unavailable under the 1331 authority) to individuals between 250% and 400% of FPL. As a condition for 1332 waiver approval, a reserve fund that New York accumulated under the original Section 1331 authority (from 2015-2024) was frozen, preventing the state from accessing over $10 billion dollars while the waiver is in effect.
The OBBBA eliminates federal support for a large group of Essential Plan enrollees, namely those who are not lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or who are not eligible for Medicaid due to immigration status. As a result, the State expects to lose federal funding for nearly half of current Essential Plan enrollees, approximately 730,000 individuals. Because of this lost federal support, the state has decided to revert the Essential Plan back to a BHP and access the BHP reserve fund to maintain benefits for those with incomes up to 200% FPL who are losing federal funding.
The State intends to implement these changes by July 1, 2026. Adults with incomes from 200%-250% of FPL will be transitioned to Qualified Health Plans, with higher cost-sharing and higher premiums, affecting approximately 440,000 New Yorkers. The State seeks to collaborate with CMS to design and provide affordable coverage options for these members who will no longer qualify for the Essential Plan.
Additional information is available here. Public comment may be submitted to NYSOH.Team@health.ny.gov through October 10th.
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National Webinar: Reimbursement Strategies for Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Services
Join the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services on September 25, 2025, 2:00-3:15 pm ET, for a webinar highlighting Reimbursement Strategies for Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Services. During the webinar, participants will learn about policy issues related to reimbursement rates for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services and best practices to address reimbursement challenges, including state examples. Registration is required to participate in the webinar. Click the link below to register. For more information, contact SUDprovidercapacityTA@norc.org
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Suicidal children on Medicaid lack timely follow-up care
Half of Medicaid-enrolled children hospitalized or seen in the emergency department for suicidal thoughts or behaviors did not receive a follow-up visit within one week of discharge, according to a September report from HHS’ Office of Inspector General. Here are 5 things to know:
- In 2023, almost 225,000 children ages 10-17 enrolled in Medicaid were hospitalized or visited an emergency department for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
- The study found that half of children did not received a follow-up visit within a week of discharge — a critical window for suicide prevention efforts.
- When follow-ups did occur most were conducted by counselors, social workers or psychiatrists, rather than primary care providers.
- Experts told the OIG that shortages of behavioral health providers and difficulty connecting families to care are key barriers to timely follow-up, the report said.
- The Office of Inspector General urges CMS to support low-performing state in improving access to suicide-related follow-up care for children.
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Behavioral Health Tech Conference Scholarships Available
Limited funding shouldn’t limit your organization’s growth. National Council members and nonprofits can apply for a scholarship to attend the Behavioral Health Tech Conference. This is the nation’s leading event at the intersection of behavioral health and technology, taking place in Chicago from Nov. 11-13. Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis through Oct. 3 — submit yours today!
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New HHS Grants Policy Statement:
What Grantees Need to Know
Monday, September 29 at 1 p.m. ET
A new HHS Grants Policy Statement, effective October 1, 2025, has been released and is full of changes for grantees. This webinar will break down key updates, clarify new requirements and offer practical guidance to help your organization stay compliant.
On Monday, September 29 at 1 p.m. ET, join Feldesman attorney Ted Waters to walk through the most important and pressing changes, including:
- Civil Rights Assurances and mandatory language
- Prior approvals for budget changes
- No-cost extension requests
- Landlord letters of consent
- Termination for the government’s convenience