What Does NAMI Want?
• NAMI supports a revised Medicare statutory definition of CMHC that retains in law two existing CMHC Medicare statutory requirements: that CMHCs must provide 24-hour-a-day emergency care services and that CMHCs must screen and assess persons for possible hospital admissions. NAMI supports a pro-active role by the state mental health authorities. NAMI wants providers to be licensed by the state and meet national standards of clinical care. Reports of their compliance with national standards should be publicly available. • All persons served should have a documented diagnosis of illness. • All persons served should have an individualized treatment plan with stated clinical goals and progress notes. • The existing peer review organizations (PROs)(Part 462 of the Code of Federal Regulations) should increase their psychiatric treatment expertise and be directly involved in verifying a sample of clinical cases as medically necessary and appropriate. PRO reports should be publicly available.
