Weekly Health Care Policy Update – August 1, 2022

August 8, 2022

In this update: 

  • Congressional Updates
    • House Passes Telehealth Extension, Bill Heads to Senate
    • Manchin, Schumer Reach Agreement on Broader Reconciliation Bill
  • Federal Agencies
    • CMS Issues Wide-Ranging RFI on Medicare Advantage
    • HHS Issues Proposed Rule to Strengthen Nondiscrimination in Health Care
    • CMS Issues Final FY 2023 Payment Rules for Hospices, IPRs, and IRFs
    • CMS Releases Maternity Care Action Plan
    • CMS Launches Enhanced Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
    • CMMI Seeks Applicants for CMS Innovation Center Fellowship
  • Other Updates
    • MACPAC Hosts Special Session on Unwinding PHE
    • U.S. News Releases Annual Best Hospitals Ranking
  • New York State Updates
    • DOH Announces Reorganization with New Leadership Cabinet and Two New Offices of Health Equity and Long-Term Care
    • Governor Hochul Declares State Disaster Emergency Due to Monkeypox
    • Governor Hochul Signs Legislative Package Supporting Rights for Individuals with Disabilities
    • SED Publishes Emergency/Proposed Rule Outlining Mental Health Practitioner Diagnostic Privilege Regulations
    • DOH Announces Competitive Procurement to Transfer NEMT Benefit Administration
    • NYS Attorney General Initiates Antitrust Action Against CVS for Requiring Providers to Use Its 340B Administrator
  • Funding Opportunities
    • DOH Opens Applications for Safety Net Nursing Home VAPAP Funding
    • OMH Announces Second Round of One-Time Targeted Investments for Benefits & Work Incentives Navigator Training
    • OMH Announces One-Time Funding for Evidence-Based Training in the MAP Model
    • DOH and HRI Announce $10.7 Million Funding for Community-Based Wellness Organizations
    • OMH Announces RFP for Treatment-Adjacent Suicide Prevention Programs for Youth and Young Adults

Congressional Updates

House Passes Telehealth Extension, Bill Heads to Senate
On July 27th, the House of Representatives passed the Advancing Telehealth Beyond Covid-19 Act of 2022 (H.R. 4040) by a large bipartisan majority of 416 to 12. The bill would extend Medicare telehealth reimbursement flexibilities currently available under the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration to expire no earlier than December 31, 2024. Under current law, these flexibilities would end 151 days after the end of the PHE, or no sooner than March 13, 2023, after which Medicare telehealth provision (except for behavioral health services) would again be limited to beneficiaries located at a health care facility in a rural area.
 
If passed by the Senate and signed by President Biden, this bill would, through 2024: 

  • Continue to allow Medicare reimbursement of telehealth services regardless of where the beneficiary is located;
  • Continue to allow Medicare reimbursement for audio-only telehealth;
  • Continue to allow federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics to provide Medicare services through telehealth;
  • Extend the PHE’s expansion of eligible provider types and services for telehealth provision;
  • Delay periodic in-person visit requirements for Medicare behavioral health services covered through telehealth; and

The proposed bill also reduces the Medicare Improvement Fund by $2.35 billion (to $5.15 billion) as a pay-for.
 
Manchin, Schumer Reach Agreement on Broader Reconciliation Bill
On July 27th, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had reached an agreement on a broader reconciliation bill than had previously been reported. In the published text of this bill, now named the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376), health care provisions would include:

  • A three-year extension (through 2025) of the enhanced ACA premium tax credits originally passed in the American Recovery Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 and set to expire at the end of this year;
  • Prescription drug pricing reforms, including: 
    • Requiring drug companies to pay rebates for drugs whose prices increase faster than inflation;
    • Eliminating the 5% cost-sharing requirement above the catastrophic threshold ($7,050 in 2022) for Part D enrollees i
    • Creating a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on Medicare Part D costs starting in 2025;
    • Directing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Drug Price Negotiation Program starting in 2026 for a limited number of high-cost drugs; and
    • Removing “partial” Low Income Subsidy (LIS) eligibility for dual eligibles by making all enrollees with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty line eligible for full LIS.

These provisions are still subject to negotiation, particularly around the timeline for implementation. New items in the package include a $370 billion investment in climate and energy policies and $300 billion in deficit reduction. The bill also includes significant tax changes, including a 15% corporate minimum tax, increased IRS enforcement, and closing the so-called carried interest loophole.
 
The Senate will reportedly consider the bill this week before adjourning for the August recess period, though the Senate parliamentarian must first determine if the legislation meets the Senate’s requirements for the reconciliation process. The legislation is expected to be finalized this month.
 
A joint statement from Senators Manchin and Schumer is available here, and a one-page summary of the agreement is available here.

Federal Agencies

CMS Issues Wide-Ranging RFI on Medicare Advantage
On July 28th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Request for Information seeking public comment on the Medicare Advantage program. CMS seeks ways to align the Medicare Advantage (Part C) program with the CMS Vision for Medicare and its Strategic Pillars. CMS has posed a total of 46 specific questions in five areas. Some of the most notable questions in each area are:

  • Advancing Health Equity
    • What steps should CMS take to serve MA enrollees in specific groups (minorities, individuals with disabilities, etc.)?
    • What are effective approaches in MA for screening, documenting, and furnishing health care informed by social determinants of health (SDH)?
    • What socioeconomic data on enrollees do MA plans use, and how?
    • How have MA plans compensated organizations that address SDH, and what are the results?
  • Expand Access: Coverage and Care
    • How can beneficiaries, especially underserved ones, effectively choose between Original Medicare and MA, and between MA plans?
    • How are MA plans providing access to behavioral health services?
    • What role does telehealth play in providing access to care in MA?
    • What factors do plans consider in determining what supplemental benefits to offer? How could CMS collect standardized data to better understand utilization and effectiveness of supplemental benefits?
  • Drive Innovation to Promote Person-Centered Care
    • What factors affect MA plans and providers in deciding to enter value-based contracts in MA?
    • What are the experiences of plans and providers with value-based contracting?
    • What steps could CMS take to encourage more value-based contracting in the MA market?
    • What is the experience for providers who simultaneously contract with MA plans and participate in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO)?
    • Are there additional eligibility criteria or benefit design flexibilities CMS could test through the MA Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) model?
  • Support Affordability and Sustainability
    • What payment policies should CMS explore to promote quality care?
    • What methodologies should CMS consider using for accurate and sustainable risk adjustment?
    • Are there potential improvements CMS could consider to the medical loss ratio (MLR) calculation methodology?
  • Engage Partners
    • What steps should CMS take to increase transparency and promote engagement with the MA program?

Comments will be due August 31st. The Request for Information is available here.
 
HHS Issues Proposed Rule to Strengthen Nondiscrimination in Health Care
On July 25th, HHS issued a proposed rule aimed at affirming protections against discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, and reiterating protections from discrimination for seeking reproductive health care services. The proposed rule clarifies that these nondiscrimination provisions apply to providers, insurers, and other entities that participate in federal health care programs and, for the first time, extends nondiscrimination requirements to Medicare Part B.
 
Using authority provided by Congress under Section 1557 of the ACA, the proposed rule aims to reinstate protections for transgender individuals first implemented by the Obama administration but rolled back under President Trump, and then extend those protections to discrimination based on sexual orientation. The proposed rule also extends protection from sex-based discrimination to include pregnancy or related conditions, including pregnancy termination. HHS requests comment on the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning Roe and Casey on the anti-discrimination provisions in the proposed rule, due to the uncertain applicability of this rule in states where access to abortion has been limited due to the interaction of state law and federal regulation. The rule also refines and strengthens the process for raising conscience and religious freedom objections to nondiscrimination requirements broadly (not just those related to pregnancy).
 
If finalized as proposed, the rule would require covered entities to provide a notice of nondiscrimination along with a notice of the availability of language assistance services and auxiliary aids and services. Covered entities would also be required to provide staff with training on the provision of language assistance for individuals with limited English proficiency and on effective communication and reasonable policy and procedure modifications for people with disabilities. The proposed rule specifies that the nondiscrimination requirements are applicable to health services offered via telehealth and that such services must be accessible to LEP individuals and individuals with disabilities.
 
Finally, the proposed rule includes a provision banning discriminatory clinical algorithms for decision support in health program and activities. This provision is applicable to providers, insurers, and other federal health program participants, which would need to make reasonable modifications in the use of algorithms unless doing so would “cause a fundamental alteration to their health program or activity.”
 
In general, the proposed rule would be effective 60 days after publication of the final rule, except that provisions that require changes to health insurance or group health benefit design will be delayed to the first day of the plan year following the effective date. However, the rule will likely face legal challenges and may not be effective during such lawsuits.
 
The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on August 4th. Comments will be due October 3rd. The proposed rule is available here. A fact sheet (here) and a press release (here) are also available.
 
CMS Issues Final FY 2023 Payment Rules for Hospices, IPRs, and IRFs
On July 27th, CMS issued three final payment rules for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023: hospice, inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs) and inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs).

  • Hospice: For FY 2023, CMS finalized routine annual rate setting changes resulting in an overall 3.8% increase in payments, an aggregate increase of $825 million. The update also includes an increase to the statutory aggregate cap that limits the overall payments per patient made to a hospice annually to $32,486.92. CMS also finalized a permanent mitigation policy to smooth the impact of year-to-year changes in hospice payments related to the changes in the hospice wage index, implementing a 5% cap on negative wage index changes.
  • Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities: For FY 2023, CMS finalized an overall 2.5% payment increase for IPFs, an aggregate increase of $90 million. This increase includes an update to the outlier threshold so that estimated outlier payments remain at 2.0% of total payments. CMS also finalized a permanent 5% cap policy to smooth the impact of year-to-year changes in payments related to decreases in the IPF wage index. The rule did not finalize any changes for the IPF Quality Reporting Program.
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities: For FY 2023, CMS finalized an overall 3.2% increase in payments for IRFs, an aggregate increase of $275 million. CMS also finalized a 5% cap on annual wage index decreases, as well as expanded quality data reporting on all IRF patients regardless of payer (Medicare Parts A or C). CMS also codified the IRF teaching status adjustment policy in regulation, which adjusts payments to reflect the higher costs of teaching IRFs.

The hospice rule can be found here. The IPF rule can be found here. The IRF can be found here.  
 
CMS Releases Maternity Care Action Plan
On July 26th, CMS released its Maternity Care Action Plan, a coordinated approach across the agency to “improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for people during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.” The plan includes activities across key areas, including: 

  • Coverage and Access to Care: Working to improve access to comprehensive health coverage and to help ensure continuity of coverage from before, during, and after pregnancy;
  • Data: Building a better understanding of key demographic drivers of health to identify disparities in care or outcomes;
  • Quality of Care: Improving the quality of care that Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, and Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees receive during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum;
  • Workforce: Identifying opportunities to expand and improve access to a diverse maternity care workforce; and
  • Social Supports: Providing whole-person care to pregnant and postpartum enrollees by connecting care and social supports.

CMS is also seeking input from industry stakeholders on best practices, as well as private sector commitments, to strengthen mental health. Comments may be submitted here. The full CMS Maternity Care Action Plan document is available here.
 
CMS Launches Enhanced Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
On July 27th, CMS launched an enhanced Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System, which will integrate new data on weekend staffing rates for nurses, as well as annual turnover among nurses and administrators. CMS began posting weekend staffing and turnover rates on Medicare’s Care Compare website in January, but this announcement marks the beginning of incorporating this data into the Rating System. The data includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, vocational nurses, and nurse aides who work under the direction of licensed nurse staff.
 
A fact sheet on the methodological change can be found here.
 
CMMI Seeks Applicants for CMS Innovation Center Fellowship
On July 27th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center (CMMI) announced that it is seeking applicants for its CMS Innovation Center Fellowship. CMMI seeks individuals with backgrounds in health policy, economics, or research to spend two to four years in a paid, full-time, remote position. Fellows will develop and test innovative models that “aim to drive our health care delivery system toward meaningful transformation and achieve equitable outcomes through high quality, affordable, person-centered care.” CMMI will be accepting applications through September 27th.
 
More information is available here.

Other Updates

MACPAC Hosts Special Session on Unwinding PHE
On July 28th, the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a special session to discuss preparation for the eventual unwinding of flexibilities afforded under the Covid-19 PHE, including the continuous coverage requirement and the associated enhanced federal matching funds for Medicaid programs.
 
The meeting was focused on the difficulty states would face when the enhanced federal funding, which has provided states with over $100 billion through 2022, expire. Some Commissioners recommended a gradual unwinding of the enhanced payment, rather than the “cliff” that would be expected if funds end at the end of the quarter as currently planned. MACPAC Chair Melanie Bella stated that the Commission should continue to consider this issue and the issue of health disparities related to the PHE unwinding as its fall session approaches.

U.S. News Releases Annual Best Hospitals Ranking
On July 26th, U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best Hospitals rankings. Overall, the Mayo Clinic topped the list, but three New York health systems were included in the Best Hospitals Honor Roll: NYU Langone (#3), New York-Presbyterian (#7), and Mount Sinai (#16). For the overall ratings, U.S. News uses 20 benchmark procedures and conditions such as knee replacement and heart bypass surgery. They also rank hospitals in 15 areas of complex specialty care. New York hospitals also rated highly on these specialty lists:

  • NYU Langone: Cardiology & Heart Surgery (#5), Diabetes & Endocrinology (#3), Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (#5), Geriatrics (#3), Neurology & Neurosurgery (#1), Orthopedics (#4), Psychiatry (#10), Pulmonology & Lung Surgery (#4), Rehabilitation (#7), Rheumatology (#7), Urology (#10)
  • New York-Presbyterian: Cardiology & Heart Surgery (#4), Diabetes & Endocrinology (#4), Geriatrics (#6), Neurology & Neurosurgery (#3), Orthopedics (#10), Psychiatry (#4), Rheumatology (#3), Urology (#5)
  • Mount Sinai: Cardiology & Heart Surgery (#6), Geriatrics (#1), Neurology & Neurosurgery (#9), Orthopedics (#8)
  • Northwell LIJ: Obstetrics & Gynecology (#7)

The full list is available here.

New York State Updates

DOH Announces Reorganization with New Leadership Cabinet and Two New Offices of Health Equity and Long-Term Care
On July 29th, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced an internal reorganization that will establish a new leadership and organizational structure for the agency. Changes include: 

  • Creating two new offices within DOH, the Office of Health Equity & Human Rights and the Office of Aging & Long Term Care (OALTC);  
  • Establishing Dr. Eugene Heslin in the new role of DOH Chief Medical Officer;
  • Developing a new Commissioner’s Cabinet, comprised of the executive leadership of DOH offices and related agencies as well as its senior advisors; and
  • Incorporating DOH regional offices into the Office of Public Health, in order to better integrate the offices into public health policymaking.

The new Office of Health Equity will be led by Deputy Commissioner Johanne Morne. The Office will address health disparities and work to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within DOH. It will subsume several existing DOH offices, including the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Prevention, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and the AIDS Institute.
 
The new OALTC will be led by Deputy Commissioner Adam Herbst, will develop policies and programs to meet the needs of older New Yorkers and individuals with disabilities who require long term care services and support. OALTC will assume some functions related to long-term care currently performed by the Office of Health Insurance Programs and the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management, and going forward, will work collaboratively with these two agencies as well as the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA). OALTC will be responsible for licensure, facility surveys, data collection, and policies and analysis related to long term care and will help develop and execute the State Master Plan on Aging.
 
As part of this reorganization, DOH will also aim to: 

  • Improve its data capabilities and prioritize agencywide data sharing;
  • Increase support for chronic disease programs; and
  • Establish a new operating model for the Office of Health Emergency Preparedness.

The DOH press release is available here.
 
Governor Hochul Declares State Disaster Emergency Due to Monkeypox
On July 29th, Governor Hochul issued an Executive Order declaring a State Disaster Emergency due to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. The Order implements the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and temporarily suspends or modifies various regulations to: 

  • Allow certified emergency medical technicians-paramedics and advanced emergency medical services providers that provide community paramedicine to administer vaccinations against monkeypox pursuant to a non-patient specific order, including in non-emergency locations;
  • Allow midwives to administer vaccinations against monkeypox pursuant to a non-patient specific order under the medical supervision of licensed physicians, licensed physician assistants, or certified nurse practitioners;
  • Allow pharmacists to administer vaccinations against monkeypox pursuant to a non-patient specific order;
  • Permit physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue a non-patient specific regimen to nurses or any individuals authorized by this Order to administer vaccinations against monkeypox;
  • Suspend the requirement that health care providers, including registered nurses and pharmacists, who administer the monkeypox vaccine to individuals 19 years of age and older obtain consent of the vaccinee in order to report the vaccination to the City or State; and
  • Require all monkeypox vaccinations for any individual (child or adult) to be reported to the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) or the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR) within 72 hours of administration.

The Executive Order is available here. The Order is effective through August 28th unless otherwise extended. The Governor’s press release is available here.
 
Governor Hochul Signs Legislative Package Supporting Rights for Individuals with Disabilities
On July 26th, Governor Hochul signed a legislative package that supports and strengthens rights for individuals with disabilities. The legislative package included the following bills: 

  • S7107B/A8586 formally recognizes Supported Decision-Making as a less restrictive alternative to guardianship that promotes autonomy for individuals with intellectual, developmental, cognitive, and psychosocial disabilities and creates obligations and corresponding immunity from liability for third parties.
  • S6789A/A7882 and S6195B/A7443 replace certain instances of the term “mentally retarded” and its variations with the term “developmentally disabled” and its variations.
  • S9335/A7652 eliminates the New York State residency requirement for designated beneficiaries in the New York Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program, which is designed to help pay for qualified disability expenses.
  • S6300/A7356 requires the Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to develop and implement a public awareness campaign to combat discrimination, stigma, and stereotyping of individuals with developmental disabilities and highlight the accomplishments and contributions of individuals with developmental disabilities.

The Governor’s press release is available here.
 
SED Publishes Emergency/Proposed Rule Outlining Mental Health Practitioner Diagnostic Privilege Regulations
On July 27th, the New York State Education Department (SED) published an emergency/proposed rule in the State Register that, in accordance with recently passed legislation, outlines regulations allowing licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), and licensed psychoanalysts (LPs) to earn a “diagnostic privilege” by meeting specified requirements. These professions did not previously have the authority diagnosis but were permitted to do so since 2002 under the “Social Worker Exemption” that expired on June 24, 2022. New York passed legislation to address the expiration of the exemption, allowing such professionals to continue to diagnose and develop treatment plans without additional requirements through June 24, 2025. During this period, they must apply to receive limited permits and gain experience for the diagnostic privilege.
 
The regulations include the following provisions, among others: 

  • To receive the diagnostic privilege, applicants must submit the application/application fee and meet all education requirements;
  • Applicants must be under appropriate supervision while they gain the required experience for the diagnostic privilege and be practicing in authorized settings;
  • Supervisors may not supervise more than five limited permit holders of any type at one time; and
  • The limited diagnostic permit is valid for up to 24 months and may be extended for up to two additional 12-month periods.

The notice of emergency/proposed rulemaking is available here. Comments will be accepted through September 25th.
 
DOH Announces Competitive Procurement to Transfer NEMT Benefit Administration
On July 27th, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) issued a public notice in the State Register announcing that, effective on or after August 1st, the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit will be transitioned from the current Medicaid Transportation managers to one or more brokers based on a competitive procurement. The broker(s) will contract directly with transportation providers to develop an adequate network, ensure compliance with transportation network driver and vehicle requirements, and negotiate actuarially sound transportation provider reimbursement. Broker(s) will be reimbursed by the State: 

  • Monthly through an administrative fee on a per member per month basis for each Medicaid-eligible individual; and
  • Annually through a risk-sharing arrangement pursuant to a gain-sharing agreement in which the broker(s) agree to share with the State net income gains over specified limits, but for which the State will not share in net losses.

The public notice is available here. Public comment may be submitted to spa_inquiries@health.ny.gov.
 
NYS Attorney General Initiates Antitrust Action Against CVS for Requiring Providers to Use Its 340B Administrator
On July 28th, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced a lawsuit against CVS Health Corporation for allegedly violating antitrust laws by requiring safety net hospitals and clinics participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program to exclusively use a CVS-owned company, Wellpartner, to process and obtain federal subsidies on prescriptions filled at CVS pharmacies. The lawsuit alleges that this “forced safety net health care providers to incur millions in additional costs, while CVS continued to benefit through its subsidiary.”
 
The lawsuit follows an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) that found that CVS pharmacies did not contract with hospitals that did not use Wellpartner as their third-party administrator for the 340B program, in violation of New York’s antitrust laws. As a result, the Attorney General’s office concluded that hospitals and clinics either had to forgo their benefits under the 340B program or use Wellpartner as their third-party administrator in order to process claims filled at CVS retail and specialty pharmacies.
 
The Attorney General seeks injunctive relief, monetary relief, and civil penalties against CVS, allowing impacted providers to recoup lost revenue and additional incurred costs. The lawsuit also requests that CVS immediately inform all covered entities that exclusive use of Wellpartner is no longer required.
 
The lawsuit is available here and the press release is available here.

Funding Opportunities

DOH Opens Applications for Nursing Home VAPAP Financial Relief Funding
DOH is now accepting applications on a rolling basis for the Nursing Home Vital Access Provider Assurance Program (VAPAP). The New York State Fiscal Year 2023 Enacted Budget expanded the definition of eligible providers that can receive VAPAP temporary rate adjustments or lump sums to include nursing homes and physician organizations (i.e., IPAs, ACOs). DOH has now established a set of criteria for facilities that would be potentially eligible.
 
Through this application process, nursing homes in severe financial distress can apply for financial relief dollars to maintain operations and vital services through March 31, 2023 while they implement longer-term solutions to achieve financial sustainability. Eligible expenses include costs directly related to the operation of a facility, and specifically exclude retirement of long-term debt, consultant fees, and bankruptcy-related costs.
 
Eligible applicants must: 

  • Be Article 28 residential health care facilities that are not operated by a county or public benefit corporation; and
  • Have less than 20 days of cash as of 12/31/21 or have had a negative operating margin with the last two complete calendar years; and
  • Not currently be the subject of known investigation or enforcement action by the federal government.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with the following deadlines: 

  • August 1, 2022
  • November 1, 2022
  • February 1, 2023

Additional information, including application materials, is available here. Applications and questions should be submitted to NHVAPAP@health.ny.gov.
 
OMH Announces Second Round of One-Time Targeted Investments for Benefits & Work Incentives Navigator Training
On July 27th, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) announced a total of $770,000 for the second round of one-time funding to train Benefits & Work Navigators in OMH-licensed, funded, or designated programs to improve consumer experience and outcomes. Agencies may apply for a one-time reimbursement of $5,000 per eligible staff that will be trained for certification as Benefits & Work Navigators or Community Work Incentives Coordinators. An emphasis on staff with lived experience of receiving social benefits who have utilized work incentives to achieve full-time work is recommended, but not required.
 
Each county will receive a minimum of three awards (inclusive of awards granted in the first round of funding), except Broome and Onondaga Counties, which will receive five awards each, and Albany, Monroe, and Suffolk Counties, which will receive six awards each. No agency will receive more than two awards per county. Applications will be reviewed based on capacity within established OMH counties and the ability of applicant agencies to provide access to Certified and Credentialed Benefits & Work Incentives Navigators services to a variety of populations and individuals.
 
The opportunity may be accessed here. Applications are due on August 30th. Questions may be submitted to carol.swiderski@omh.ny.gov with “Benefits & Work Incentives Navigators Training Investments” in the subject line by August 5th.
 
OMH Announces One-Time Funding for Evidence-Based Training in the MAP Model
On July 27th, OMH announced a total of $520,000 in one-time funding for OMH-licensed programs to improve implementation of evidence-based care, specifically through the Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) model. MAP is a clinical framework and decision support system designed to help improve the quality of mental health care delivered to children and adolescents.
 
Eligible applicants are OMH-licensed community-based provider agencies serving children and families. Applicants can apply for a one-time reimbursement of $10,000 per group of two clinicians and one clinical supervisor attending the 4-day MAP training and completing the required follow-up tasks. Applicants may submit up to two applications per agency on behalf of any OMH-licensed program serving children and families. OMH intends to award a total of 52 grants.
 
Additional details are available here. Applications are due on October 14th. Questions may be submitted to carol.swiderski@omh.ny.gov.
 
DOH and HRI Announce $10.7 Million Funding for Community-Based Wellness Organizations
On July 26th, DOH, in collaboration with Health Research, Inc. (HRI), announced two funding opportunities for community-based wellness organizations to encourage the expansion or development of new Covid-19 mitigation and prevention resources and services.
 
The first funding opportunity will provide one-time grants of up to $49,999 to up to 210 organizations. Applicants must choose either chronic disease management/preventive care or social determinants of health as their focus area. Eligible organizations include not-for-profit entities and community-based organizations. Non-rural organizations must have operating budgets of $1 million or less. While all communities are welcome to apply, funding will prioritize communities of focus, all of which are upstate counties (see list here).
 
The second funding opportunity will award $49,999 to four separate organizations with expertise in public health workforce training and development, that will work directly with the awardees in the first funding opportunity. Applicants must have at least five years of experience providing technical assistance, education, and training to providers serving underserved and marginalized populations. One grant will be awarded in each of the following categories: 

  • Community Needs Assessment and Health Equity;
  • Health Literacy;
  • Evidence-Based Programs; and
  • Quality Improvement and Program Evaluation.

Applications are due August 5th for the first grant and on August 30th for the second grant. Additional details are available here.
 
OMH Announces RFP for Treatment-Adjacent Suicide Prevention Programs for Youth and Young Adults
On July 13th, OMH released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for funding to support agencies with the development of innovative and culturally-relevant suicide prevention interventions for Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and LGBTQI+ youth and young adults. OMH will award $5 million in total funding to support a minimum of five awardees over a 12-month period ($1 million per awardee). At least two awards, and no more than three awards, will be made to providers in New York City.
 
Eligible applicants include not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agencies located in New York State. Applicants do not need to be licensed and/or funded by OMH; however, awardees will be expected to identify and partner with a licensed behavioral health provider agency to facilitate access to treatment services.
 
The RFP is available here. Mandatory, non-binding Letters of Intent are due on August 31st. Applications are due on September 8th.