AHA advocates for strong federal response to meet behavioral health needs

The AHA yesterday urged the Senate Finance Committee to address the nation’s myriad behavioral health needs by: strengthening the workforce; reforming discriminatory Medicare and Medicaid laws; increasing integration, coordination and access to care; ensuring parity; expanding telehealth; and improving care for children and adolescents. The letter, a response to the committee’s bipartisan request for information, outlines a number of specific actions Congress should take in each area to promote access to quality behavioral health care. Committee leaders say they plan to develop a bipartisan legislative package on behavioral health care by the end of the year.