• As part of the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to address the nation’s mental health crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced three key actions to ensure children have access to high quality health care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued two informational bulletins – one reminding states of their mandate to cover behavioral health services for children in Medicaid and a second that urges states to expand school-based health care for children, including mental health care. HHS also issued “The Mandatory Medicaid and CHIP Core Set Reporting” proposed rule, which would require states to report certain quality measures to strengthen Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to ensure that the millions of children and families enrolled in these programs have access to the highest quality of care. (Press release here)

Read Third Horizon Strategies thought leadership on the youth mental health crisis, social media’s impact on kids mental health, and pediatric behavioral health!