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Among the major provisions of the legislation is an extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program through 2028, marking the longest reauthorization in the program’s history. CHIP is a federal-state partnership that provides comprehensive health insurance coverage for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. CHIP insures 9 million children, including 850,000 with serious behavioral or emotional disorders.
The budget agreement also provides the following:
- $6 billion to help fight the nation’s opioid epidemic, primarily through state grants that expand substance abuse and mental health treatment. In addition, $2 billion has been earmarked over the next two years to support research at the National Institutes of Health, including its study of nonopioid pain therapies.
- Two-year reauthorizations of funding for the community health centers; the National Health Service Corps, which provides student loan forgiveness to health professionals who work in rural or underserved areas; and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program. These all provide critical health-related resources to vulnerable communities.
- Technical corrections related to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which will help ease regulatory burdens faced by physicians.
- Additional funding for Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics.
- Funding that will improve access to telehealth services by Medicare Advantage enrollees.
“Through enhanced federal commitment to programs—stimulating the mental health workforce, furthering evidence-based practices, and advancing medical research—we can ensure the next generation of mental health professionals are well prepared to combat current and future health-related challenges,” APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., wrote in a letter to congressional leaders following the bill’s passage. “APA looks forward to continued collaboration to build and support robust systems of care, innovative programs, and a high-performing workforce to ensure the stability of our healthcare system now and for the future.”
Detailed information on the budget agreement will appear in the March 2 issue of Psychiatric News.
(Image: David Hathcox)
