Webinar today!!
Updated Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS)
Guidance Webinar   The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), in collaboration with MCTAC, will host a webinar to review the revised MHOTRS Guidance. This session will offer a comprehensive overview of the updates, which are intended to clarify existing program requirements and address topics commonly raised in technical assistance.

Target Audience: NYS Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS)/Clinic Providers 

Webinar: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Time: 1:30- 3:00pm

Register for Webinar Here

Link: https://registration.nytac.org/event/?pid=10&id=4324 

If you have any questions, please email MCTAC: mctac.info@nyu.edu with the Subject Line “Updated MHOTRS Guidance”. 

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Hospitals across the U.S. are mounting a major lobbying campaign to block a Senate GOP proposal that would cut Medicaid payments by limiting states’ use of provider taxes, a key mechanism used to boost federal contributions and increase hospital reimbursements. While the House version of the bill proposed a freeze on new taxes, the Senate Finance Committee’s version goes further, slashing the allowable tax rate from 6% to 3.5% for states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, potentially affecting more than 30 states and D.C. Hospital leaders, alarmed by the financial threat, have mobilized over 250 executives to lobby senators in D.C., warning that the cuts could jeopardize hospital operations. (Article here)
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RFP ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE NYS JUSTICE CENTER
Dear Potential Proposer:The New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs (Justice Center) invites proposals from not-for-profit providers for the operation of the Surrogate Decision-Making Committee (SDMC) program throughout six regions of New York State as identified in the Request for Proposal (RFP).

The Justice Center will establish contracts in each of the six regions identified in the RFP, that will cover a five-year period commencing November 1, 2025, through October 31, 2030.The RFP outlines the services requested and applicable information for submission of a response.  For Proposers’ convenience, the RFP and its related attachments have been made available in electronic format at the Justice Center’s website at https://www.justicecenter.ny.gov/procurement-opportunities. 

All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted via email, no later than 5:00 PM ET June 26, 2025 to jc.sm.contracts@justicecenter.ny.gov.  Proposals must be submitted via SFS by 5:00 PM ET July 23, 2025. The SFS Event ID is SDMC 2025.

The Justice Center has designated Michele Zeccolo, Courtney Souza, Michele Pezzula, and Amanda Shooks as the sole points of contact regarding the RFP, from the date of issuance of the RFP until the issuance of the Notices of Award. The designated contacts can be reached at: jc.sm.contracts@justicecenter.ny.gov. Thank you.

MICHELE PEZZULAAssistant Director of Financial Administration Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs161 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054w: (518) 549-0358 l Michele.Pezzula@justicecenter.ny.govwww.justicecenter.ny.gov
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Historic Coverage Gains at Risk, New State Health Scorecard Shows

June 18, 2025Every state has reduced its uninsured rate over the past decade, and today there are fewer adults who are skipping needed care because of the cost. This progress is largely due to the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, marketplace plan subsidies, and consumer protections. That progress is now at risk. Proposed Medicaid funding cuts, work requirements, new requirements for enrolling in marketplace plans, and the expiration of enhanced ACA premium subsidies could together leave millions of Americans uninsured and drive up costs for many more. The Commonwealth Fund’s new 2025 Scorecard on State Health System Performance offers a comprehensive look at how well health care systems are meeting people’s needs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, based on the most recent data available. While coverage and access have improved, the report also identifies some troubling trends and persistent gaps:Early childhood vaccination rates have dropped in nearly every state.Infant mortality worsened, with wide disparities between states.Avoidable deaths remain high, with stark racial gaps.Get the scorecard
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Supreme Court Upholds Tennessee Ban in United States v. Skrmetti, Deepening Crisis for Transgender YouthWashington, DC – In United States v. Skrmetti, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, allowing the state to enforce discriminatory restrictions that deny essential, evidence-based treatment.
“This decision disregards medical consensus and increases harm to transgender youth, who already face heightened risks of depression and suicide. It also strips families of the right to make urgent health care decisions in consultation with providers,” said Sarah Somers, Legal Director at the National Health Law Program. “With similar laws spreading nationwide, this ruling threatens the health and futures of transgender youth.”
The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) has a long history of protecting and advancing access to essential health care for those most in need and with the fewest resources. Gender-affirming care is safe, effective, and medically necessary for the youth who need it. As attacks on transgender people intensify nationwide, NHeLP remains committed to defending the rights of transgender and gender-expansive young people to access the critical care that they deserve.

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