Maternal home visiting, mental health bills advance in House

Sep 21, 2022 - 04:01 PM
A mother holds a newborn baby in a hospital bed

The House Ways and Means Committee today voted to advance to the full House bipartisan legislation (H.R.8876) that would reauthorize the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, and double annual funding for the program to $800 million over five years. The committee also passed five packages of mental health bills. Among other provisions, the bills would: 
•    Add Medicare outpatient mental health treatment options and direct the Health and Human Services secretary to revise the Medicare payment system for inpatient psychiatric facilities.
•    Add marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors as Medicare providers; remove regulatory barriers that prevent hospitals from offering wellness benefits to all physicians; and direct the Administration to consider ways to increase access to stimulant addiction therapy.
•    Require coverage of forensic medical exams with no cost sharing.
•    Require private health plans to provide more data on their mental health benefits.
•    Evaluate health plans on their mental health network adequacy and require plans to submit machine-readable files describing their mental health and substance use disorder benefits.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
Analysis finds average monthly premiums for Part D stand-alone drug plans to increase 50% in 2027 
The estimated average monthly premium for Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans is $51 for 2027, a 50% increase from $34 in 2026, for enrollees…
Headline
CMS issues CY 2027 physician fee schedule final rule 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 4 released its calendar year 2027 final rule for the physician fee schedule. As required by law, CMS will…
Headline
CMS finalizes increases to Medicare hospital outpatient department payment rates, changes to site-neutral and 340B for 2027
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 4 issued a final rule that increases Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by a…
Headline
Blog: Four Reasons the HHS Provider Tax Study Misses the Mark
A new AHA blog examines a Department of Health and Human Services issue brief that claims Medicaid hospital provider taxes increase employer-sponsored…
Blog
HHS Analysis Does Not Establish a Causal Link Between Medicaid Provider Taxes and Commercial Premiums
Public
A recent issue brief from the Department of Health and Human Services asserts that Medicaid hospital provider taxes raise employer-sponsored insurance premiums…
Headline
FDA proposes updates to infant formula nutrient requirements 
The Food and Drug Administration Oct. 29 issued a proposed rule to update infant formula nutrient requirements, the first such update since 1998. The proposal…