Dive Brief:
- House Republicans are seeking support for a new draft of mental health legislation that had long stagnated due to its high price tag and controversial provisions, The Hill reported.
- The bill is held as Republican's solution to mass shootings, after it was introduced in response to the Newtown, Conn. school shooting that killed 20 children and six staff members.
- Republicans are trying to revive momentum on the legislation in time to pass it during the election year.
Dive Insight:
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), who drafted the original bill, and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) are working to reduce the costs of the bill and make the provisions more widely agreeable among Republicans, The Hill reported.
Democrats have not yet been involved. Committee Democrats have long objected to the bill, meaning it could easily come down to a party-line vote.
Those involved are working to roll back a provision that would cost $40 to $60 billion over 10 years to allow Medicaid to pay for more care at mental health facilities.
Lawmakers are also working to address a controversial provision that would grant caregivers and family members access to more information about a mentally ill patient's care through changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which many on both sides of the aisle oppose in favor of protecting mentally ill patients' privacy.