Federal Policy
In February 2023, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) requested information from stakeholders on the drivers and potential solutions to healthcare workforce shortages. The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (formerly 2020 Mom) submitted the following letter outlining our recommendations to increase the capacity and diversity of the healthcare workforce.
Rep. Stewart shared, "I couldn't be prouder to co-chair this bipartisan caucus and elevate the conversation around mental health…suicide is a top ten cause of death nationwide, as well as in my home state. We are wholeheartedly committed to finding real-world, bipartisan solutions to help all Americans struggling with mental health challenges, and we will work tirelessly to uphold that commitment."
In honor of Black History Month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a briefing on maternal health priorities and activities on Friday, 17th, 2023. Secretary Xavier Becerra and other key agency leaders shared new funding authorized by the passage of the federal budget bill (the Omnibus) and other Department activities to advance maternal health outcomes, including addressing inequities.
Certified Peer support is growing in interest as a means for building the mental health workforce. Peers have had similar mental health experiences and can help combat stigma, and support those who are suffering from mental health challenges in very meaningful ways.
Below is a summary from the Center for Connected Health Policy on the federal laws and regulations in place regarding telehealth, post the COVID Public Health Emergency.
What stays permanently:
Medicare reimbursement for eligible telehealth services when the patient is located in a geographically rural area AND in an eligible originating site (i.e. in most cases not the home).
The 117th Congress successfully passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 on December 23, 2022 and is now headed to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The federal bill that 2020 Mom has championed, was passed by Congress and calls for the development of a national strategic plan to address maternal mental health.
In early December, our policy team worked with a coalition of non-profit partners and submitted the following letter to Congressional appropriations leaders, urging them to prioritize contraception care and safe motherhood. This is a priority for 2020 Mom and our coalition partners given the state of reduced availability of abortions in the United States and the link between unintended pregnancies and higher rates of poor mental health outcomes.
CMS finalizes “Birthing-Friendly” hospital designations, available in Fall 2023.
“Birthing-Friendly” Hospital Designationsare defined as “a publicly-reported, public-facing hospital designation on the quality and safety of maternity care.”
A government report released in October confirms that during COVID, maternal health worsened, racial disparities grew, and rates of maternal mental health disorders rose.
Maternal deaths increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic was a contributing factor in 25% of all maternal deaths in 2020-2021, as found in the recent report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO conducted this research because the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) includes a provision for GAO to report on its pandemic oversight efforts.
Last month the Biden Administration released final regulations that make critical changes to Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans for the 2023 plan year. Annually, the Administration releases proposed changes to ACA plans for the upcoming plan year with the ability for outside stakeholders to submit comments in response to the proposed changes. After reviewing the stakeholder comments, the Administration adjusts its proposal accordingly and finalizes the regulations.
Washington, DC - May 24, 2022 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Last week, as a result of the work of a strong non-profit coalition and grassroots advocacy effort led by the national maternal mental health think tank 2020 Mom, the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act was included in H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act.
CMS issues Proposed Rule to Integrate Equity and Maternal Health Quality Measures into Payment for Hospitals
On April 19, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule (aka regulation) to expand on key priorities of advancing maternal health and health equity in maternal health care.
During 2020 Mom’s recent Maternal Mental Health FORUM, one panel discussion was focused on “Closing Racial Disparity Gaps Through Policy Solutions.” The panel was moderated by U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL), who co-chairs the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus and is leading the Black Maternal Health Momnibus in the House of Representatives.
Panel speakers included:
Anna Benyo, MPP, Senior Program Officer, Center for Health Care Strategies
Amy Chen, Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program
On March 28, the Biden-Harris Administration submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2023 (FY23). Although this budget document is non-binding, it does represent key policy and programmatic priorities from the Administration.
Below are highlights from the President’s Budget that show meaningful investments in maternal health across federal government agencies. 2020 Mom will continue to track the progress of these programs as Congress advances their FY23 appropriations bills.
On March 30, 2022, the Senate Finance Committee, led by Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), held a hearing titled, “Behavioral Health Care When Americans Need It: Ensuring Parity and Care Integration.”
Here’s what you need to know about the federal budget and maternal mental health.
Last week, federal lawmakers in the House and Senate passed their overdue fiscal year (FY) 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2022) spending package, and President Biden signed it into law. Notably, because a significant portion of healthcare funds were diverted to support Ukraine, funding levels for many mental health and maternal health programs were lower than expected based on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees’ proposals.
Recently, the U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor (DOL), and Health and Human Services (HHS) released their 2022 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Report to Congress.
This report indicates that health insurers are failing to deliver parity for mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) coverage for their beneficiaries.
On November 19, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Build Back Better Act (BBB) (H.R. 5376), which, in addition to including the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909/S. 484), includes historic provisions investing in child care and early learning for our nation’s children. Higher quality and more affordable child care is crucial for mothers, as it reduces anxiety about children’s wellbeing as well as financial stressors.
2020 Mom is committed to advancing federal policies that improve maternal mental health. Through our federal policy development and advocacy efforts, we have made great strides in the past year.
On December 8th, the House of Representatives passed 15 health-related bills, including two bills that 2020 Mom has supported: the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act (H.R. 5487) and the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667).
On December 7th, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted the first-ever White House Maternal Health Day of Action. The Day of Action included a Summit that was composed of three panels, as well as a Call to Action, outlining steps the federal government will take to improve maternal health outcomes.
Over the past two months, several U.S. Senate offices have released requests for information (RFIs), seeking input from stakeholder groups about how to address mental health and addiction issues in the U.S. Specifically, the following Senators requested comments from stakeholders:
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-34) was the inception of the child tax credit (CTC), which was created to ease the financial burden to families with children. Over the years, the CTC has expanded from an upper- and middle-class benefit, to a tax benefit that lower-income families can claim. The CTC allows taxpayers to reduce their federal income liability up to $2,000 per child aged 0-16 years of age. In the event the value of the credit exceeds the amount of tax a family owes, the family may be eligible to receive a full or partial refund of the difference.
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, a $1.75 trillion legislative package that aims to address social welfare. It will be considered by the Senate in the weeks ahead. In addition to critical maternal mental health legislation included in the package, several other provisions that impact moms are currently included in the package as well:
In December 2019, as a result of 2020 Mom’s advocacy efforts, the House Committee on Appropriations requested that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) develop a report on the role of HHS in addressing maternal mental health (MMH). HHS released their report earlier this year, summarizing existing programs and resources that exist to serve individuals with MMH disorders. For the purpose of the report, HHS defined MMH disorders as depression, anxiety, and psychosis during pregnancy or one year postpartum.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity among Rural Populations
Earlier this year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the federal government oversight and assessment office, released a report titled, Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: Additional Efforts Needed to Assess Program Data for Rural and Underserved Areas.
In 1993 the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed into law, marking the first national unpaid leave policy. The law, which applies to employers with 50 or more employees, stipulates eligible workers can take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child; to care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious medical condition; to recover from a serious health condition themselves; or to take military family leave.
On July 29th, the full House of Representatives passed an appropriations minibus package that included the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHS) funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2022 (October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2022). The L-HHS bill includes increased funding for several mental health, maternal health, substance use, and other public health programs. The bill passed along party lines with a vote of 219-208.
In April 2023, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) released its Draft Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2026 and requested public comments. The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (the “Policy Center”) submitted the following letter in response to each priority area, with a particular focus on integrating behavioral and physical healthcare and strengthening the behavioral health workforce.