ACA News

White House announces new initiative on Women’s Health Research

In a recent Presidential Memorandum, President Joe Biden established the new White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, aiming to mobilize the Federal government, private sector, and philanthropic organizations to enhance women's health.

ACA Attends Congressional Briefing on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

  Recently ACA attended the Congressional Briefing “Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: What Has Changed (and Hasn’t) 15 Years Since Passage,” sponsored by REDC.  Since the passage of the Mental Health Parity and ...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Release Final Rule for Medicare Reimbursement

  November 3, 2023 (Alexandria, VA) — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Rule. Many of the policies within the rule relate to mental health counselors (MHC) and marriage and ...

President Biden Signs Artificial Intelligence (AI) Executive Order

President Biden recently signed an Executive Order which focuses on regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Executive Order establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, ...

ACA 2025 Conference & Expo in Orlando FAQs

The American Counseling Association will continue with its longstanding plan to host its 2025 Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida. In a letter to members, ACA President Edil Torres Rivera, PhD, and CEO Shawn Boynes shared the rationale ...

What Does a Government Shutdown Mean for Counselors?

The Federal government is headed towards a shutdown unless Congress acts soon. Government funding expires Sunday, October 1, 2023, and lawmakers are still divided. Each year, Congress must pass spending bills before the October 1st ...

ACA Attends Congressional Maternal Mortality and Maternal Mental Health Briefing

  On Tuesday September 19th, the ACA Government Affairs team attended a Congressional Briefing: Saving and Supporting Moms, sponsored by Mom Congress, to address the growing crisis of maternal mortality and maternal mental health across the ...

CMS Releases New Medicare Enrollment Information for Counselors

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new resources to assist counselors who plan to enroll in Medicare beginning January 1, 2024. These new resources are available as you start reviewing the required forms and documentation ...

Update: CMS Releases Revised Medicare Telehealth Factsheet

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has just unveiled an updated version of its Medicare Learning Network (MLN) fact sheet on Telehealth Services. This comes after a hiatus in updates due to the evolving landscape during the COVID-19 ...

ACA Submitted Final Response to CMS Proposed Rule

Recently, ACA submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule released earlier this summer. ACA’s response to the proposed echoes the proposals to expand ...

ACA Applauds the Expansion of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to Support American Sign Language

On Friday, September 8th the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration  (SAMHSA) issued a release announcing the expansion of 988 by meeting the needs for deaf and hard of ...

The Biden Administration Pushes for Mental Health Parity

The White House recently announced new steps to expand access to mental health care in America. Almost 15 years ago, the bipartisan Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) became law. It called for health insurance companies ...

House Energy and Commerce Committee Markup on Health Bills

This week, the House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Committee announced a full committee markup of 15 health bills held on Wednesday, July 19th. E&C Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers announced the committee’s dedication to addressing ...

CMS Releases Medicare Proposed Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), a proposed rule to announce rate updates, advance health equity, and expand access to critical medical services ...

Senator Baldwin (D-WI) to re-introduce the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act

By Dominique N. Marsalek, M.A. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, is reintroducing legislation that aims to include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in government surveys. The purpose is to gather more ...

American Counseling Association Names New Chief Financial Officer

Mahzarine Chinoy, CPA, joins ACA Alexandria, Va. (June 13, 2023) — The American Counseling Association (ACA) is pleased to announce the selection of Mahzarine Chinoy, CPA, as chief financial officer (CFO), effective June 20. Chinoy comes to ACA ...

HHS Publishes National Model Standards for Peer Support

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has published the National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification for substance use, mental ...

U.S. Surgeon General Releases Report: 2023 SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

On Tuesday, May 23, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. “The most common question parents ask me is, ‘Is social media safe for my kids?’ The answer is that we don't ...

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline First Anniversary

Last year, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) rolled out a National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (NMMHH). This Hotline connects pregnant and postpartum mothers and family members ...

HHS Summit Focuses on Greater Mental Health Access

On May 4, 2023, the HHS summit, "Support is Here to Strengthen Mental Health," was held. The summit centered around Mental Health Awareness Month and focused on the three mental health pillars of the Biden ...