A group of lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee released a discussion draft for telehealth policies designed to improve mental health care across the nation.
The discussion draft includes policies that would remove Medicare’s in-person visit requirement for tele-mental health services and establish benefit transparency for mental health care services delivered via telehealth. Further, it would preserve access to audio-only mental health coverage in Medicare when necessary and appropriate and direct Medicare and Medicaid to promote and support provider use of telehealth. In addition, it would incentivize states to use their CHIP programs to establish local solutions to serve behavioral health needs in schools, including through telehealth.
“The pandemic made clear that telehealth is a game-changer, particularly so Americans can get mental health care when they need it,” said U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), chair of the committee. “These policies will help strengthen access, awareness, and support for telehealth, including by creating a ‘bill of rights’ for information on the availability of telehealth for mental health care.”
The telehealth discussion draft is the first legislative draft released by the committee since it began its mental health care initiative. Other discussion drafts may be released prior to a committee markup. The committee is committed to fully paying for any mental health package with bipartisan, consensus-driven offsets.
“Whether for rural communities, urban areas, or tribes, telehealth has undoubtedly expanded access in underserved areas, improved care coordination and integration, and provided more privacy to patients to combat stigma,” said U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), ranking member on the committee. “The Finance Committee took crucial first steps toward modernizing telehealth coverage for mental health services in late 2020, and I look forward to building on those efforts through this bipartisan process.”
Earlier this year, the committee announced five areas of focus for addressing shortfalls in mental health care: workforce, care integration, mental health parity, telehealth, and youth.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on the health and well-being individuals and communities, exacerbating longstanding challenges with mental health and substance abuse,” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) said. “Telehealth, particularly for behavioral health services, has become an essential component of care, and I am pleased that we have this opportunity to improve access to telemental health care, particularly for underserved communities.”
This discussion draft includes a public call for comments and three hearings to help develop these initiatives.
“South Dakotans have long understood the value of telehealth, and the pandemic put a finer point on its importance,” U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said. “That’s why I’ve appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator Cardin and the committee leaders over the last few months to lay the necessary groundwork to advance policies that strengthen telehealth and expand access to mental health services.”