Bipartisan groups of House and Senate members introduced two important behavioral health-related pieces of legislation before Congress adjourned for the August recess.
Senators Tom Carper (D–Delaware) and Bill Cassidy (R–Louisiana) and a bipartisan collection of nine other senators have introduced the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (S. 2407opens in new window), and Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R–Ohio) and Raul Ruiz (D–California) introduced a companion bill in the House (H.R. 4818opens in new window). The legislation would allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for the treatment of obesity when provided by clinical psychologists and other nonphysician providers.
Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D–Nevada), and Representatives Doris Matsui (D–California), Bill Johnson (R–Ohio), Ron Estes (R–Kansas), and Sharice Davids (D–Kansas) joined in introducing the Behavioral Health Information Technology (BHIT) Coordination Act (S. 2688opens in new window/H.R. 5116opens in new window). The legislation would authorize $20 million per year in grants to clinical psychologists and other behavioral health providers to assist in purchasing or upgrading health information technology software and support services, and to promote the implementation of integrated care services.
APA Services is a long-standing supporter of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act and is proud to support this latest iteration of the bill. The association also supports the BHIT Coordination Act to assist nonphysician behavioral health providers in adopting electronic health records technology, given their exclusion from eligibility for incentive payments provided under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009.
APA Services will continue to advocate for these two important bipartisan initiatives to improve access to behavioral healthcare.
For more information about this legislation, please contact Scott Barstow or Andrew Strickland.