Last week, House Democrats introduced The Comprehensive Behavioral Health and Recovery Act (H.R. 4435), the second major piece of federal mental health legislation to be discussed by the current Congress. Follow the link above to view the draft as introduced by Congressman Gene Green of Texas.
H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015, introduced by Republican Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, has some bipartisan support, but far more Republican (130) than Democrat cosponsors (49). Whether this new bill (H.R. 4435), will become a rival or a complement to the Murphy bill remains to be seen, but what appears to be clear is that mental health policy is a Congressional priority.
NAMI Executive Director Mary Giliberti says, “NAMI is pleased to see the additional call for reform of our country’s mental health system, but action needs to follow. People living with mental illness and families are tired of waiting on the sidelines.” Help NAMI and NAMI Vermont to keep the momentum on attention to mental health policies at the federal level: contact Vermont’s congressional delegation today and let them know what you think about the proposed legislation.
Here is an overview of some of the key provisions included in the H.R. 4435 as introduced (via NAMI):
- Repeal of the discriminatory 190 day lifetime limit on coverage of psychiatric hospital stays in Medicare.
- Grants to establish assertive community treatment (ACT) programs, an evidence-based program with proven effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations, homelessness and arrests.
- Regulations that clarify when it’s permissible or not permissible for providers to share limited mental health information.
- Strengthening enforcement of the federal mental health parity law.
- Supporting early identification and intervention in the treatment of first episodes of psychosis.
