NAMI - The National Alliance on Mental Illness

Comments to Nat'l Committee for Quality Assurance
NAMI comments to the National Committee for Quality Assurance on quality measures for Medicaid beneficiaries living with schizophrenia. Read further for details. (PDF file)

NAMI Comments on Medicare Part D Regulations on Drug Formulary Coverage Rules
3/23/2009
Read NAMI's comments on Federal regulations related to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs MIPPA Drug Formulary and Protected Classes Policies.

Access to Medications Toolkit
6/27/2007
NAMI’s Access to Medications Toolkit is designed to help NAMI state organizations and affiliates advocate on medication access issues in their communities. For further assistance, please contact Angela Kimball at angelak@nami.org.

Regulations for Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Issued
8/05/2004
The first set of proposed regulations implementing the new Medicare prescription drug benefit were published on August 3. This first "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (NPRM) runs more than 1,300 pages and sets forth initial guidelines for the new drug benefit that will go into effect in January 2006.

FDA's Drug Approval Process - Up to the Challenge?
Statement of Andrew Sperling, Director of Federal Legislative Advocacy on Behalf of the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill Before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions United States Senate March 1, 2005

NAMI's Position on Access to Medication
A statement summarized from NAMI's Public Policy Platform

10-Point Policy To Ensure Access to Effective Medications in State Medicaid Programs
NAMI recommends the following 10-point program to ensure open access to medications in the current budget deficit environment.

Access to Medication: NAMI Advocacy Goals and Strategies
Learn about NAMI's effort to improve access to medications for mental illnesses.

Sign Up for E-News Alerts
Keep up with the latest developments on this issue by subscribing to NAMI E-News, our free action alert newsletter.

Access to Medication: An Advocacy Resource List
A resource list for state advocates working on access to medications. Includes information on the CATIE and CUTLAS studies; the experiences of individual states; and Medicaid.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance
A new toll-free number and Web site provide help to those who lack prescription coverage or cannot afford their medications.

CMS Advises Against Restricting Access to Medications
On August 20, 2004, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Technical Assistance Paper -"Psychotropic Medications: Addressing Costs without Restricting Access." CMS supports several state efforts to control the escalation in prescription drug costs while maintaining access to newer, effective medications.

NAMI Policy Research Institute
Learn more about NAMI's Policy Research Institute, whose mission is to drive national, state, and local debates on reforms and investments in the nation's mental illness delivery and financing system.

Mental Health Services Locator
A state-by-state database of comprehensive information about mental health services and resources. Useful for professionals, consumers and their families, and the public. (source: SAMHSA/CMHS)

The Risks of Cost-Sharing
Recent studies find that increasing cost-shairng for health benefits may result in decreased compliance with drug regimens. This may have negative consequences long-term.

Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP)
TMAP, started in 1996, is designed to develop, implement and evaluate not just a set of medication algorithms, but an algorithm-driven treatment philosophy for major adult psychiatric disorders treated in the Texas public mental health sector.

Kaiser Family Foundation
Provides information and analysis on a broad range of policy issues, emphasizing those that most affect low-income and vulnerable populations. Major initiatives and focus areas include the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the Medicare Policy Project.

President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
A report from the Policy Options Subcommittee on Evidence-Based Practices on Mental Health Policy and Psychotropic Drugs, February 6, 2003