Washington Debrief: Mixed Reaction to HIPAA Final Rule

Since the Newtown, CT tragedy in December, mental health care has been top of mind for healthcare leaders, as well as Federal and State legislators. But since the recession started in 2008, 30 states cut funding from mental health programs. The Associated Press researched some of the largest cuts – South Carolina cut funding by 40 percent over four years and Kansas by 12 percent over three years – and found they are a part of a group of ten states that cut mental health funding by over 10 percent since 2008. After the tragedy, many states are reversing this budget-cutting trend, the report says, as they recognize the need for better diagnosis and treatment for mental health.

Last Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first hearing on mental health since 2007. This hearing focused on: “Assessing the State of America’s Mental Health System.” In Committee Chairman Harkin’s (D-IA) opening remarks, he noted that “a number of sheriffs in his state and other states have said that their jails are now the defacto mental health institutions in their states. The shame in this is that with access to the right treatments and supports, people living with mental illness can recover and lead healthy lives… We need to look at access to mental health care across the country.” This sentiment shares support from both sides of the aisle as newly voted Ranking Member Sen. Alexander (R-TN) expressed interest in finding out what they can do at the federal level to help identify who needs help, and who can provide help for those suffering from mental illness.

Edited by Gabriel Perna