Dear Administrator Oz and Deputy Administrator Brillman:
The Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) is a coalition of national organizations representing people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders (MH/SUD), family members, mental health and addiction providers, advocates, and other stakeholders committed to strengthening Americans’ access to MH/SUD care. We write to urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure that implementation of the community engagement provisions included in H.R. 1 protect access to care for the millions of Americans living with MH/SUD. As the single largest payer of MH/SUD services, Medicaid plays a critical role in addressing our nation’s ongoing mental health and addiction crisis. Given this context, CMS can and should take steps to ensure that eligible individuals do not lose coverage through the recommended efforts outlined below. Read full letter