FCC designates 988 for suicide prevention hotline
The Federal Communications Commission today adopted rules establishing 988 as the nationwide phone number to connect people experiencing mental health crises to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a network of 163 crisis centers that last year answered more than 2.2 million calls and 100,000 online chats. Under the new rules, telecommunications carriers and one-way Voice over Internet Protocol service providers must direct 988 calls to the existing hotline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), by July 16, 2022. The current lifeline and online chats will stay available during and after the transition.
Related News Articles
Headline
A Health Affairs study published Sept. 2 found that less than 40% of Medicare beneficiaries with opioid use disorder received standard care in alignment with…
Perspective
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., this week facing a long list of things to do, including several that will impact hospitals’ ability to provide access to…
Headline
The AHA Sept. 4 expressed support for the Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites Act (H.R. 5120), legislation that would require Medicare and Medicaid to…
Headline
The House Appropriations Committee today released the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education,…
Blog
In this insightful conversation hosted by Nancy Myers of the American Hospital Association, we explore how Owensboro Health (Ky.) and CredibleMind are…
Headline
The AHA Aug. 11 urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to prioritize payments to hospitals from the Rural Health Transformation Program. The…