AHA comments on House mental health legislation

Commenting today on a substitute amendment to the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646) by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), the AHA voiced support for a provision that would allow states to use federal Medicaid funds to cover services for adults in inpatient psychiatric hospitals. “We note that in a May 2015 proposed rule governing Medicaid managed care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed to allow managed care plans, which now cover about 75% of Medicaid beneficiaries, to cover short-term inpatient stays now prohibited by the [Institutions for Mental Disease] exclusion,” wrote AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels. “We encourage you to explore with the Congressional Budget Office the interaction between this proposed rule and Section 501(b). We do not support reducing hospital payments to pay for this provision.” Among other comments, AHA voiced support for language that would require the Health and Human Services Secretary to clarify what information providers may disclose to parents and caregivers in certain situations, and for elements of the legislation that address workforce needs. The substitute amendment is one of several bills and amendments being considered by the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee during a markup session today.