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Health Reform

image of US flag and stethoscope

In March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (together referred to as the Affordable Care Act) that make health insurance coverage more affordable for individuals, families, and the owners of small businesses. The Affordable Care Act is one aspect of a broader movement toward a reformed behavioral health system.

For the behavioral health field, "health reform" includes MHPAEA, Olmstead1 and early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT)2 issues, integration with the broader health system, and increased use of health information technology (HIT). More specific efforts are also important to the reform of the behavioral health system, such as the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the Tribal Law and Order Act, and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Read more about health reform. For more information on SAMHSA's role in health reform see SAMHSA's Leading Change: A Plan for SAMHSA's Roles and Actions 2011 – 2014.

What we are doing

Behavioral Health Treatment Needs Assessment Toolkit for States

  • Behavioral Health Treatment Needs Assessment Toolkit for States: The Behavioral Health Treatment Needs Assessment Toolkit is intended to provide states and other payers with information on the prevalence and use of behavioral health services; step-by-step instructions to generate projections of utilization under insurance expansions; and factors to consider when deciding the appropriate mix of behavioral health benefits, services, and providers to meet the needs of newly eligible populations. The Toolkit was developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Toolkit provides guidance on key questions that states and other payers may need to answer regarding behavioral health treatment needs and service use. It also summarizes how several states have approached planning for newly eligible populations. The Toolkit provides estimates of the prevalence of behavioral health disorders and use of behavioral health services among populations who are currently uninsured and may become eligible for insurance. Finally, the Toolkit includes a section that describes how users can access and analyze other data on behavioral health needs by particular subpopulations within states, income groups, insurance status groups, and age groups.

    The Toolkit was released on Monday, May 13 through a webinar hosted by State Refor(u)m. The archive of the webinar is available at State ReForum.

  • Data for easy downloading: Web-based tables for easy access to the estimates included in the Tool-kit of the prevalence of behavioral health disorders and use of behavioral health services among populations who are currently uninsured and may become eligible for insurance.

National and State Estimates

BHbusiness: Mastering Essential Business Operations for Behavioral Health Providers

  • BHbusiness: A new initiative to provide targeted training and other supports to ensure that behavioral healthcare providers are ready to meet the demand for services in this new health reform environment.

Parity

Enrollment

  • Health Insurance Enrollment
    Find out what insurance coverage you may be eligible for or explore information and resources on health insurance enrollment for individuals, providers and states.

Health Homes

Prevention

Medicare

Block Grants

  • SAMHSA Block Grants
    Information about SAMHSA’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants

Resources

Webinars

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Visit SAMHSA's webinar archive for information about previously aired webinars in the series.

Fact Sheets

Information for consumers, providers, States, and the public about important topics and provisions regarding the Affordable Care Act.

Information Resource Center

Financing Focus

Timelines

Other Resources

Last updated: 06/17/2013

  1. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the landmark Olmstead decision applying the Americans with Disabilities Act to the right of individuals with disabilities to receive health care in a community-based setting.
  2. This child health component of Medicaid is required in every State.