Congressional Push: Expanding mental, behavioral health care access
The WorldMar 25, 2023
Mar. 24—Nearly one in five American adults suffer from mental illness; one in four older adults reported having anxiety or depression; and more than four in ten high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless.
And despite around a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries living with a mental illness, only less than half receive treatment, according to a release from Oregon
The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act extended mental and physical health care parity to private and employer-provided plans, but plans provided by the
Wyden and
Wyden said mental health care should be affordable, reliable and accessible for everyone.
"For too long, mental health care has taken a back seat to physical health in
The Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act addresses this gap and removes unnecessary obstacles for low-income kids and seniors to access the mental health care they need.
What the proposed legislation is designed to do:
* Require parity for mental and behavioral health services in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid.
* Ensure Medicare Advantage plans maintain up-to-date provider directories so beneficiaries can access care more easily.
* Encourage mental and behavioral health integration with physical care by increasing reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid.
* Increase access to integrated mental and behavioral health care for children in schools.
* Require the
"Mental Health America applauds Senators Bennet and Wyden for their comprehensive bill to transform our fractured and ineffective mental health system by incentivizing integrated primary care, requiring accurate provider directories, and extending parity protections," Mental Health America President and CEO
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