Thread by @AnnaKBailey, It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth & many ppl are rightly pointing out that #COVID19 [...]

It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

& many ppl are rightly pointing out that #COVID19 & the related isolation & financial stress are straining mental health. This thread explains why boosting federal Medicaid funding is critical to mental health care.

Blog: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/increasing-fmap-is-essential-to-behavioral-health-care-access-amid-covid-19

Increasing FMAP Is Essential to Behavioral Health Care Access Amid

One of the best tools to protect access to urgently needed behavioral health care, including mental health and substance use services, is to raise the federal share of Medicaid costs (or “FMAP”).

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/increasing-fmap-is-essential-to-behavioral-health-care-access-amid-covid-19

While need is increasing during the pandemic & economic crisis, many #BehavioralHealth providers are struggling to keep their doors open. They’re facing drops in revenue on top of new costs to ramp up #telehealth & provide #PPE.

https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NCBH_COVID19_Survey_Findings_04152020.pdf?daf=375ateTbd56

To make matters worse, states face HUGE budget crises, and without enough federal support will likely make deep cuts to #Medicaid and other mental health and substance use funding, as they did during the #GreatRecession https://www.cbpp.org/blog/new-cbo-projections-suggest-even-bigger-state-shortfalls

New CBO Projections Suggest Even Bigger State Shortfalls

State budget shortfalls from COVID-19’s economic fallout could total $650 billion over three years, we estimate based on new economic projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/new-cbo-projections-suggest-even-bigger-state-shortfalls

1 of the best tools to protect access to urgently-needed behavioral care is to raise the federal share of #Medicaid costs (aka FMAP). Speaker Pelosi’s new #Heroes bill does that, building on the modest, shorter-term FMAP increase from #FamiliesFirstAct. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/pelosi-bill-includes-much-needed-medicaid-funding-for-states

Pelosi Bill Includes Much-Needed Medicaid Funding for States

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s coronavirus relief bill provides a much-needed Medicaid funding boost to help states preserve health coverage and address massive state budget shortfalls stemming from

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/pelosi-bill-includes-much-needed-medicaid-funding-for-states

FMAP increases let states stretch their #Medicaid budgets further by freeing up state funds they already allocated to Medicaid to cover growing Medicaid enrollment & budget shortfalls, rather than make cuts (e.g. to provider rates) to cover costs. https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/larger-longer-lasting-increases-in-federal-medicaid-funding-needed-to-protect

Larger, Longer-Lasting Increases in Federal Medicaid Funding Needed

Medicaid is central to the health care system’s response to the current public health and economic crises. Millions more people will likely enroll in Medicaid in coming months because of the

https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/larger-longer-lasting-increases-in-federal-medicaid-funding-needed-to-protect

Another FMAP increase would also support state efforts to shore up access to behavioral health care by using #Medicaid authorities, such as 1135 emergency waivers, tied to the public health emergency #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/states-are-leveraging-medicaid-to-respond-to-covid-19

States Are Leveraging Medicaid to Respond to COVID-19

"Congress should support states in making these changes by further increasing Medicaid’s federal match rate."Many state Medicaid programs are proposing or implementing new policies to respond to

https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/states-are-leveraging-medicaid-to-respond-to-covid-19

Behavioral health & other #Medicaid providers also need direct support from provider relief funds, which they haven’t received yet. While important to help providers stay afloat, direct grants to providers won’t prevent states from cutting Medicaid & other behavioral health funds

So it’s a both/and situation: FMAP increase AND direct relief to #Medicaid providers is needed to support behavioral health care. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

As @JessicaSchubel explains, a bigger FMAP increase is also critical for people with disabilities’ access to home & community-based services, providing essential care to help people live in the community instead of institutions. #HCBS https://www.cbpp.org/blog/more-federal-medicaid-funding-needed-to-protect-home-and-community-based-services

More Federal Medicaid Funding Needed to Protect Home- and

To help prevent cuts to home- and community-based services (HCBS), policymakers should substantially raise the federal government’s share of state Medicaid costs (the “FMAP”), as House Speaker Nancy

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/more-federal-medicaid-funding-needed-to-protect-home-and-community-based-services

But health care alone isn’t enough to keep people well during a crisis. People also need stable housing, food on the table, & enough income to make ends meet. Speaker Pelosi’s new #Heroes bill includes important resources to help meet these needs, too.
https://www.cbpp.org/press/statements/greenstein-pelosi-package-would-provide-essential-support-for-economy-relief-to

For e.g.: the bill has $ for 100K emergency vouchers for people experiencing/at risk of homelessness, an important resource for people w/ behavioral health care needs, who are over-represented in the homeless system. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/house-bill-provides-vital-housing-aid-but-more-vouchers-needed

House Bill Provides Vital Housing Aid, But More Vouchers Needed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s coronavirus relief bill includes urgently needed funds to help low-income people rent safe, stable housing during the pandemic and deep economic downturn. Without this

https://www.cbpp.org/blog/house-bill-provides-vital-housing-aid-but-more-vouchers-needed

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