ACA News

Department of Education FY2025 Proposed Budget

On March 11, 2024, the Department of Education (DOE) held a briefing detailing the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget. The DOE requests $82.4 billion in discretionary budget authority for FY2025,

President Biden Highlights Mental Health Care in the State of the Union

During the 2024 State of the Union address, President Biden made mention of mental health care. In his comments, the President unveiled elements of his administration’s strategy to address a mental health crisis of isolation and loneliness.

The White House Convening on Equity

The White House held a forum on the Biden-Harris Administration’s dedication toward advancing equity. One year after President Biden signed the Executive Order, the Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

Administration Announces New Program: the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model

On Thursday January 18, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held a behavioral health stakeholder meeting...

The House and Senate Vote to Pass Temporary Extensions on Government Funding

On Thursday January 18, 2024, the Senate and House passed the continuing resolution (CR), the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2024, that provides short term government funding through March 1, 2024.

Passage of the Physician Fee Schedule Update and Improvements Act Could Benefit Licensed Professional Counselors

The Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) are rates set by statute and formula. Physicians and some practitioners are paid the full fee schedule amount ... while other non-physician practitioners are paid a percentage of the fee schedule amount.

Government Affairs December 2023 Updates

Medicare UpdateThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are currently accepting applications for any counselors interested in becoming a Medicare provider.

DC Mayor Signs Bill Offering Financial Assistance for Counseling Students

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is pleased to announce ... a unique funding program offering tuition and further funding to graduate students attending the HBCU University of the District of Columbia (UDC).

ACA Attends the Inaugural HHS 'Music is Medicine' Event

This week, the ACA Government Affairs and Public Policy team attended the inaugural Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 'Music is Medicine' event. 

Labor HHS Releases Report Which Includes Billions in Mental Health Provisions

Recently, the House Appropriations Committee released the report for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024 (L-HHS), which includes $2.7 billion for SAMHSA mental health activities and programs.

Senate Finance Legislation May Expand Mental Health Care

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), released a set of policies aimed at expanding mental health care under Medicaid and Medicare, in addition to lowering prescription drug cost for seniors.

The Debt Ceiling Bill Passage May Impact Mental Health Care

On June 3, 2023, President Biden signed H.R. 3476, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Most people know this act as the debt ceiling bill. The American Counseling Association previously reported the impact that this compromise bill between ...

Debt Ceiling Negotiations May Impact Counselors and their Clients

Currently in Congress negotiations continue around the nation's debt ceiling. As a professional counselor you may wonder how and if the negotiations in Congress may affect you, as well as what exactly the debt ceiling is. The debt ceiling is a limit ...

White House: Black Maternal Health Week Proclamation

The White House signed a Proclamation for Black Maternal Health Week for April 11-17th. In the document, the Administration highlights the disparities among black mothers including the high mortality rate and decrease in maternal mental ...

Counselor Advocacy Matters to Medicare Reimbursement Success

 On Thursday, September 22, the American Counseling Association shared the promising news that the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee voted to move the House version of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (H.R. 432) to full ...

Federal Government Awards $1.6 Billion for Communities Addressing Addiction and Overdose

Last week, the Biden Administration awarded $1.6 billion in funding to address the nation’s worsening addiction and overdose crisis. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services ...

ACA Meets with White House Administration on Protecting Counselor Rights

Following the United States Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade (via Dobbs v. Jackson), the American Counseling Association (ACA) issued a statement in opposition of the ruling. This statement focused on the need to protect Licensed ...

988 Suicide Prevention Hotline Operational

Beginning on July 16th, 2022, the 988 Hotline began rolling out, connecting individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to trained mental health professionals. In 2020, Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 (S.2661) ...

The White House Signs the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

On June 25th, the White House signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S.2938), ending the thirty-year deadlock on gun reform legislation. In an effort to reduce mass casualties as a result of recent gun misuse, the Senate introduced a bipartisan ...

HHS Offers Guidance of Audio-Only Telehealth

On  Tuesday, June 14th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued guidance on how covered healthcare providers and health plans can use remote communication technologies to ...