Hi Association Executives,
In follow-up to our call today regarding extending telehealth flexibility until the end of the crisis, please see attached letter from the Congressional Budget Office regarding the projected budget impacts of the CARES Act. Within the document is the statement from CBO that they assume the emergency declarations will be in place through "early 2022".
The footnote from page two states (emphasis mine):
"For this preliminary estimate, CBO's budgetary estimates are based on an assumption that the emergency declarations will remain in place through early 2022 (that is, for an additional 21 months). Those declarations include a declaration of a public health emergency, as authorized under the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d); and a declaration of emergency, as authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121). The declarations allow federal agencies to take actions and expend funds to respond to emergencies, including outbreaks of disease. The duration of such declarations is not necessarily an indication of the severity of the pandemic at any particular point while they are in effect."
Please let me know if you have any questions,
Frankie
------------------------------
Frankie Berger
Director, State Policy and Advocacy
National Council for Behavioral Health
202-684-3727
------------------------------