For immediate release: May 21, 2018

Rochester, NY – The Board of the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association
released the following statement today to support legislation in Congress (H.R. 5531
& S. 2613) that expands access to behavioral healthcare:

“As a national coalition of leaders in integrated care we are acutely aware of
the access-to-care crises for patients with behavioral health and opioid use
disorders. We also know that many behavioral health providers stand ready
to serve but are unable to do so due to reimbursement restrictions that are
currently part of the laws governing the Medicare program. These mental
health providers, including marriage and family therapists and master’s
degree practitioners deserve an opportunity to serve their country and its
citizens by helping to confront the access-to-care issue.

• The legislation in the House of Representatives (H.R. 5531, Sec. 6) would provide for reimbursement of services provided by these duly licensed clinicians.
• The legislation in the Senate (S. 2613) would provide for reimbursement of Licensed Clinical Social Workers to be reimbursed for providing behavioral support for medical conditions, typically billed under ‘Health & Behavior Codes’.

We support these efforts for the general good of our people and because the future of integrated care depends on them. We cannot have a future where every medical setting provides efficient, accessible integrated care if we continue to have a dearth of qualified clinicians in those settings that are able to receive payment for those services.”

About the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (cfha.net)

The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association is a member-driven non-profit organization dedicated to making the integration of mental and physical health the standard of care nationally. Our interdisciplinary membership of physicians, patients, clinicians, educators, nurses, behavioral health professionals, foundations, payers, advocates and researchers work to promote comprehensive and cost-effective models of healthcare delivery that integrate mind and body, individual and family, patients, providers and communities.

Media Contact: Neftali Serrano, PsyD, Executive Director, nserrano@cfha.net

Twitter: @cfha_tweet, Website: http://cfha.net

For immediate release: July 10, 2017

“The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association urges members of congress to pass the
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2017 (HR 3032). Our organization’s efforts to
lower healthcare costs through the integration of behavioral and medical care hinge on
access to a workforce that is recognized by all payers of healthcare. This bill would
significantly improve access to mental health care by adding Marriage and Family
Therapists and other accredited Master’s level counselors as Medicare approved
providers. Having a qualified, robust workforce will enable our members to continue to
build integrated care programs across the nation that lower costs and improve care
outcomes by breaking down the silos of mental and medical care.”

About the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (cfha.net)
The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association is a member-driven non-profit
organization dedicated to making the integration of mental and physical health the
standard of care nationally. Our interdisciplinary membership of physicians, patients,
clinicians, educators, nurses, behavioral health professionals, foundations, payers,
advocates and researchers work to promote comprehensive and cost-effective models
of healthcare delivery that integrate mind and body, individual and family, patients,
providers and communities.

Media Contact:
Neftali Serrano, PsyD
Executive Director
nserrano@cfha.net
Twitter: @cfha_tweet

For immediate release: May 15, 2017

Rochester, NY – The Board of the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association released
the following statement today in response to the U.S. House of Representatives
passage of the American Health Care Act:

“We urge the U.S. Senate to consider the economic and quality of care impact
of disincentives for payers to cover treatment for mental and physical health
equally. Our national coalition of leaders in the integration of mental and
physical health care services have made substantial progress in the last decade
to reduce costs, improve efficiency and bolster patient outcomes through
integrated care. Disincentives for payers to cover treatment for mental and
physical health equally will impede our efforts to improve the healthcare delivery
system, resulting in the inefficiency and costliness of care which our members
have pledged to change. Considering the impact of legislation on integrated
care efforts is also a way of protecting the investment that the federal
government (HRSA, SAHMSA) has and continues to make through the millions
spent on integration innovation projects in the last decade. We stand ready to
work with members of congress to help align insurance reform with health
system delivery reform and continue to lead the way in integrating mental and
physical health care.”

About the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (cfha.net)
The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association is a member-driven non-profit
organization dedicated to making the integration of mental and physical health the
standard of care nationally. Our interdisciplinary membership of physicians, patients,
clinicians, educators, nurses, behavioral health professionals, foundations, payers,
advocates and researchers work to promote comprehensive and cost-effective models
of healthcare delivery that integrate mind and body, individual and family, patients,
providers and communities.

Media Contact:
Neftali Serrano, PsyD
Executive Director
nserrano@cfha.net
Twitter: @cfha_tweet