Dive Brief:
- Efforts are underway in both the Senate and the House to move bipartisan mental healthcare reform legislation, The Hill reports.
- Progress is primarily being seen in the draft bill being designed by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), leader of the Senate Health Committee, with ranking Democrat Sen. Patty Murray (WA) as well as Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The Senators are also working with the Obama administration for its support.
- The Senate bill is slated for committee consideration March 16.
Dive Insight:
Those drafting the bill are still determining not only some of its content, such as what elements to include from a previous bill from 2015 by Sens. Murphy and Cassidy that called for the creation of a new assistant secretary to oversee mental health, but also funding for issues including early intervention for children exhibiting risk factors for mental illness.
"Negotiations are proceeding and really positive,” Murphy was quoted by The Hill. “It has the potential to be something really meaningful.”
The bill would also make adjustments to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), include elements to help fight the opioid epidemic, and possibly allow Medicaid to cover care at mental health facilities, removing the “IMD exclusion.”
That move remains highly debatable due to its estimated additional cost of $40 to $60 billion over 10 years.