The presidential commission on opioid abuse chaired by Gov. Chris Christie is expected to propose a significant loosening of the 21-year-old federal law protecting patient privacy in cases of opioid overdose, the governor confirmed Monday. The governor disclosed that he was in talks with both Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Department of Justice lawyers about recommending changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, better known as HIPAA.
For decades, therapists, patient advocates and countless families have worked to elevate mental health care in the political conversation. Their cause recently received a big boost when a new law created a federal mental health "czar" to help overhaul the system and bridge more than 100 federal agencies concerned with mental health. But the White House's choice for the first person to fill that position has already been divisive, exposing longstanding rifts within the field that may be difficult to mend.
As deadlines near for behavioral and mental health providers to transition to a fee-for-service model, some providers have concerns over whether the change will limit services. New Jersey is one of the last states to move to a fee-for-service system, where providers can charge the state only for specific services. State legislators say the new model will free up money to expand consumer access to services. But providers worry the new model will limit what they can offer.