Archive for the ‘Advocacy’ Category

Mental Health Parity and Its Impact on the Behavioral Health Workforce

In 2006, New York enacted a parity mandate in the form of Timothy’s Law, which requires group health plans to provide 30 inpatient days and 20 outpatient days for most mental health diagnoses and requires large plans to provide full coverage for certain biologically based illnesses. Several years...

New Mental Health Parity Laws in New York State

About one in five New Yorkers require behavioral health services, but many do not receive treatment because of a lack of access to insurance coverage. More than 10 years ago, the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act required large group health plans that provide mental health...

NYAPRS Regional Forum Held at CoveCare Center

Individuals served by and representatives from agencies in Putnam, Westchester and surrounding counties participated in a special forum hosted by CoveCare Center in Carmel, NY. “The Power of Grassroots Advocacy” and “The Promise of Pioneering Service Innovations” were the main topics...

Helping, Engaging, and Linking to Health Interventions (HEALTHi)

The Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) is partnering with Coordinated Behavioral Care (CBC) on an exciting new project – HEALTHi (Helping, Engaging, and Linking to Health interventions). The program will focus on providing a safety net of resources to individuals with complex...

A Human Right Still Unmet: Medical Treatment of Mentally Ill Prisoners

Individuals with mental illness have the right to receive appropriate medical treatment in correctional settings and upon release. It sounds perfectly reasonable, but unfortunately, is far from reality. That was the consensus of a distinguished panel of mental health and legal experts who recently...

Project Access: An Investigation of Access to Quality Mental Health and Addictions Care

Did you know that health insurers are mandated by government to offer panels of providers so that families can find easily accessible care for their loved ones—and not only for physical illnesses? This requirement is known as network adequacy, referring to adequate networks of care. However,...

Grassroots Advocacy: Addiction Recovery Support in New York State

The recently released 413-page, Surgeon General’s Report, “Facing Addiction in America – Alcohol, Drugs & Health,” (the first report of its kind to focus on the public health crisis of addiction) is being compared to the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking credited with millions...

Beacon’s Unique Staffing to Facilitate System Reform in New York State

Since 1997, Beacon been a valued partner and thought leader for managed care plans, local and state agencies, and provider and consumer stakeholder groups in New York State, enabling Beacon to execute programming that achieves the intended goals of New York’s Medicaid Redesign Team. Our...

Driving System Success During Times of Change

The adult New York State Behavioral Health System recently transitioned to Medicaid Managed Care. While everyone would acknowledge initial challenges and ongoing issues to be resolved, overall, the transition has been successful. This article will highlight the positive aspects of the...

Transforming Behavioral Health Systems of Care to Improve Outcomes and Promote Value

Many state and county Medicaid programs are considering the implementation of managed care models in their behavioral health care systems in order to ensure consistent quality outcomes for their residents with a mental health condition or substance use disorder. As a national leader in managed...