The Senate approved a bill by voice vote on Tuesday that extends the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration program in Oregon and Oklahoma, among other Medicaid programs. H.R. 1839, which passed the House last week, provides both states with an additional three months of participation in the CCBHC initiative, funding them both through June 30, 2019. Oregon and Oklahoma were set to conclude their two-year demonstration and lose their funding on March 31, but this extension will align them with the other six CCBHC demonstration states that began the program three months after OR and OK in 2017.
This is an important win for National Council advocates who worked tirelessly to extend the CCBHC program in all eight states. The National Council thanks each and every advocate for all their hard work â the letters, the tweets, the outreach â that made this legislative achievement possible.
The National Council also thanks its legislative champions Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) for their support in passing this short-term extension. The bill now heads to the White House where President Trump is expected to sign it into law this week.
NEXT STEPS
The fight continues to extend CCBHCs beyond the June 30, 2019, deadline. The National Council asks all advocates to continue working hard to drive co-sponsorship and support for the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 824/H.R. 1767). This legislation would provide two additional years to the original eight states and expand CCBHCs to another 11 states across the nation.
To read the full article written by Michael Petruzzelli, click HERE
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