Federal News & Issues

Nov 19, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 19, 2021 – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Build Back Better Act, which, among its $2 trillion in spending, includes significant needed investments in mental health and substance use disorder care. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) applauds the House for including these provisions in the Act and urges the Senate to ensure they are retained in the final reconciliation package.

Among the many health care provisions APA supports are those expanding:

• Mental Health Parity: The 2008 federal parity law requires that insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services be no more restrictive than coverage for other medical care. Full compliance with this law has yet to be achieved but is essential given the...

Nov 17, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 17, 2021 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today reported that between April 2020 and April 2021, U.S. deaths from overdoses topped 100,000. This grim milestone constitutes a record, and overall, these deaths are up 29 percent from the prior year.

Today, the American Psychiatric Association reiterates that effective treatments for substance use disorder are available, and renews its calls for:

• Improved access to mental health and substance use services through early identification in evidence-based models that integrate behavioral health treatment into primary care services.
• The development and...