As you’re aware, URAC started the new year with the purchase of CHQI’s telemedicine and Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Parity (Parity) products. The purchase of these products marked a concerted effort to expand our footprint in two areas that are vital to the future of care delivery in America.

When you or any other normal person thinks of summer, images of cookouts, fireworks and fun by the pool probably spring to mind.

Our moms always told us if we spent too much time watching TV it would fry our brain. If you’ve spent any time watching the political news the past few months you’d probably agree.  

To increase access and enhance mental health services provided by the state of New York, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) in July issued guidance for the use of telepsychiatry.  In this guidance, the OMH states it will accept telehealth accreditation by a national accrediting organization as evidence of regulatory compliance for a subset of the regulations.

In the early morning of Friday, July 28th, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) ended the latest Republican-led efforts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by joining two other Republican Senators and every Senate Democrat in voting against a “skinny” repeal measure. Coming on the heels of two other failed votes in the Senate, any efforts for Republicans to deliver on the signature Republican campaign promise of repealing and replacing the ACA appear to be on hold.

On June 22, the Senate released the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA) - its version of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Senate version comes weeks after the House passed its version, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), by a narrow four vote margin on May 6th.