IPRC Member Good Shepherd Rehabilitation to Host DISRUPT: Health-Care Innovation Summit on April 5
National Council Webinar for Update on Federal Policy Developments on Feb. 6
Second Federal Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order
Message from ANCOR:
A second federal judge has blocked the freeze on federal spending noticed earlier in the week through a memo from OMB.
The order directs the Trump Administration not to “pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate defendants’ compliance with awards and obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the states, and defendants shall not impede the states’ access to such awards and obligations” until further arguments can be heard.
The order does not prevent the review of federal programs, only the freeze on federal spending during the review. The OMB memo was rescinded prior to the issuance of the order, but the judge expressed earlier in the week that he was not persuaded that withdrawing the memo removed the underlying harm.
A hearing is expected Monday on the previous restraining order issued earlier in the week. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
Lydia Dawson, JD
ANCOR | Vice President of Government Relations
571-932-5375
DEA Seeking Public Comments on Proposed Telemedicine Rule
Earlier this month the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations. DEA is seeking public comment by March 18, 2025.
RCPA is considering whether it will submit comments. If you have comments about the proposed rule that you would like to make part of any RCPA response or if you would like to discuss the proposed rule, please contact RCPA SUD Treatment Services Policy Director Jason Snyder.
The NPRM introduces three types of Special Registrations for Telemedicine:
- A Telemedicine Prescribing Registration, authorizing qualified clinician practitioners to prescribe Schedule III-V controlled substances via telemedicine;
- An Advanced Telemedicine Prescribing Registration, authorizing qualified, specialized clinician practitioners (i.e., psychiatrists, hospice care physicians, physicians rendering treatment at long-term care facilities, and pediatricians for the prescribing of medications identified as the most addictive and prone to diversion to the illegal drug market) to prescribe Schedule II-V controlled substances via telemedicine; and
- A Telemedicine Platform Registration, authorizing covered online telemedicine platforms, in their capacity as platform practitioners, to dispense Schedule II-V controlled substances. To satisfy the statutory requirements, DEA would also require the special registrant to maintain a State Telemedicine Registration for every state in which a patient is treated by the special registrant, unless otherwise exempted. The State Telemedicine Registration would be issued by DEA, not the states, and operate as an ancillary credential, contingent on the Special Registration held by the special registrant.
Public comments are also requested on additional patient protections for the prescribing of Schedule II medications by telemedicine, including:
- Whether the special registrant should be physically located in the same state as the patient being prescribed Schedule II medications;
- Whether to limit Schedule II medications by telemedicine to medical practitioners whose practice is limited to less than 50 percent of prescriptions by telemedicine; and
- The appropriate duration needed for the rules’ provisions to be enacted.
The special registration rule will also require the establishment of a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to help the health industry protect against abuse and the diversion of controlled substances into the illegal drug market. A national PDMP will provide pharmacists and medical practitioners with visibility of a patient’s prescribed medication history.
Dr. Kenneth E. Richter, Jr., Joins RCPA Member Pyramid Healthcare as Chief Clinical Officer
OMHSAS Peer Support Services Stakeholder Meeting Recording Now Available
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is providing the YouTube link from their last quarterly PSS Stakeholders Call that was held on January 14, 2025, as well as the presentation that was reviewed, for any interested stakeholders or individuals.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. A meeting invite will be distributed closer to the meeting date.
Recommendations for agenda topics or questions can be submitted electronically to the OMHSAS Peer Support Services inbox and must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the meeting date.
Please reach out to RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.
Updated Guidance on Federal Funds Freeze: January 30, 2025
RCPA provided some late updates yesterday on the Federal funding freeze, and late last evening, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing provided members a legal interpretation on the rescinding of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-25-13 and the issuance of the new memorandum M-25-14.
The following is from the National Council:
On Wednesday afternoon, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a new memorandum—M-25-14 — that rescinded the pause to federal funding contemplated in a previous memorandum first issued on Monday night.
The new memorandum, which was directed to “heads of executive departments and agencies,” features a two-sentence statement reading: “OMB Memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded. If you have questions about implementing the President’s Executives Order, please contact your agency General Counsel.”
In the short term, M-25-14 certainly relieves some of the confusion and anxiety that swept across the federal grants world since Monday night. Our previous client alerts have chronicled the chaos that emerged late Monday and throughout the day on Tuesday.
However, in our review, there are still five key Executive Orders issued by the Trump Administration not affected by the rescission of M-25-13. Those EOs include:
- Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, directly addressing foreign assistance funding;
- Unleashing American Energy, freezing all programmatic funding for “green new deal” programs;
- Protecting the American People Against Invasion, freezing Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security programs and contracts pending a review of immigration enforcement programs;
- Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, terminating all DEIA programs and activities in the federal government; and
- Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, terminating all DEIA-funded grant programs and contracts.
While the upheaval following the issuance of M-25-13 may have prompted the Trump Administration to change course and move away from pausing all federal funding, we certainly anticipate that federal grants in the above-listed areas will remain subject to a comprehensive review and new standards. Federal grantees with programs in these specific areas should undertake a detailed review and be prepared for future agency actions.
Federal grantees should continue to keep apprised of the Administration’s actions, orders, and statements relating to federal funding — as the rescinded memorandum likely foretells future clashes as the Administration attempts to exert control over federal spending.
Chuck Ingoglia
President & CEO
Strategic Leadership
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
In addition, ANCOR sent the following information last night:
In what’s turning from a whirlwind couple of days into a whirlwind week, there were notable updates today on the OMB memo on the freeze of certain federal funding issued earlier in the week.
Today OMB withdrew the memo with a simple rescission statement after a federal judge temporarily blocked the funding freeze for open awards and current spending. The order remains in effect until February 3 when a hearing is scheduled to determine next steps.
As you may have seen, later in the day, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X, “[t]his is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court’s injunction. The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.” Without further specificity regarding the implicated executive orders, the situation remains fluid with the potential for later memos or other interpretive guidance which the White House maintains is authority held within the executive branch.
In other litigation, U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell made statements in court today indicating that another restraining order may be coming. With the memo rescinded, the Department of Justice Special Counsel argued the case is no longer relevant. However, the judge did not appear persuaded and asked for a draft protective order for response and consideration.
We’ll continue to keep you posted as we know more and hope to see you Friday (1/31) for our extended Members-Only Weekly Briefing at 12:30 pm ET to provide updates and review all available information together. See login information below:
Join Zoom Meeting: ancor-org.zoom.us/j/…
Meeting ID: 870 2745 7284
Passcode: 977618
In recent communications from the OMB, these actions will not impact programs that provide direct benefits to individuals and are explicitly excluded from the pause and exempted from this review process. In addition to Social Security and Medicare, already explicitly excluded in the guidance, mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause.
RCPA will continue to communicate new developments with members as they emerge. If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.
DDAP to Host Two In-Person Clinical Supervision Trainings
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is hosting two upcoming Clinical Supervision Trainings (CST). These in-person trainings will build on the information provided in the online training and provide participants with the opportunity to practice their clinical supervision skills. Participants will also be provided with tools to assist in assessing and working with their supervisees.
The in-person trainings are being held at:
- Allegheny County Single County Authority, 1 Smithfield St, Pittsburgh
Monday, March 17 – Friday, March 21 - Pine Barn Inn, 43 Pine Barn Pl, Danville
Monday, April 21 – Friday, April 25
Trainings are from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm each day, and there is a $300 fee to attend. Registration is limited and will be processed in the order registrations are received. Those interested in the training can register on the Training Management System website. Email DDAP’s Training inbox with any questions.
The remainder of the 2025 CST dates and regions are listed below. Once locations are confirmed, they will be updated in DDAP’s Training Management System (TMS), offering a variety of in-person and virtual training to maintain your skills and fulfill requirements.
- Southeast Region: Monday, May 12 – Friday, May 16
- Northwest Region: Monday, June 9 – Friday, June 13
- Northeast Region: Monday, August 25 – Friday, August 29
- Southcentral Region: Monday, September 15 – Friday, September 19
- Southwest Region: Monday, October 27 – Friday, October 31
- Southeast Region: Monday, November 3 – Friday, November 7
DDAP has approved additional options for completing this requirement for those unable to attend an event but in need of training to fulfill licensing regulation requirements.
ECTIC to Host February 19 Resilience Conference “Back to Basics: Moving Policy and Practice Forward”
The Erie Coalition for a Trauma-Informed Community (ECTIC) is hosting its Resilience Conference on Wednesday, February 19. The conference theme, “Back to Basics: Moving Policy and Practice Forward,” emphasizes returning to foundational principles to create meaningful change. By focusing on practical strategies and actionable insights, the conference aims to empower individuals and organizations to advance trauma-informed policies and practices that foster resilience across our communities.
The daylong virtual conference is free. Conference registration, session information, and other details are available online.
Update Regarding Federal Funding Freeze
RCPA continues its efforts to update members on the White House funding freeze while partnering with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and ANCOR in examining the implications stemming from the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) January 27 memorandum temporarily freezing federal disbursements to many federal programs.
The National Council has provided the following update:
Federal agencies have been directed to fill out a spreadsheet as part of an analysis by Feb. 7 to ensure compliance with the president’s most recent executive orders. This is a breakdown of which health programs are included in this latest action.
Notably, we recognize conflicting guidance has been issued. While the above report identifies Medicaid programs, a Q&A document from the administration notes that Medicaid will continue without pause. As of Tuesday morning, all 50 states reported outages of their Medicaid online portals, and the Trump administration has stated they are aware of the outages and expect the portals to be back online shortly.
Also, several groups have taken action to block this funding freeze. As of this writing, several Democratic state attorneys general said they would ask a court to block the freeze from taking effect. Several groups representing nonprofits, public health professionals and small businesses have already filed suit in D.C. asking the court to prevent the freeze from continuing. On Tuesday evening, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan issued a temporary stay on the funding freeze until Feb. 3 at 5:00 pm ET.
The funding freeze may lead to project delays or cancellations, resulting in layoffs of workers involved in these programs, and may ultimately increase the unemployment rate, making it vital lawmakers understand the impact of this freeze on communities across the country.
Most notable are the concerns with the intersects of Medicaid funding though the information that has been released. The Q&A document states:
Q: Is this a freeze on benefits to Americans like SNAP or student loans?
A: No, any program that provides direct benefits to Americans is explicitly excluded from the pause and exempted from this review process. In addition to Social Security and Medicare, already explicitly excluded in the guidance, mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause.
RCPA will continue to communicate new developments with members as they emerge. If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.
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