This bill changes Medicare payment rules to give extra bonus payments to clinicians who treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders in areas identified as having a shortage of mental health professionals. It adds non-physician behavioral health providers to the list of practitioners who can get these bonuses and defines the services covered. The bill sets a 15% bonus for "specified health services" provided in mental health professional shortage areas and keeps a 10% bonus for other physicians' services in general health professional shortage areas. "Specified health services" are services for diagnosing, evaluating, or treating mental health disorders or treating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders when furnished on or after January 1, 2027. The bill lists which non-physician providers are eligible, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors. The extra payments are to come from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.
The bill requires additional Medicare payments equal to percentages of the payment amount for services: 10% for physicians' services in general health professional shortage areas and 15% for specified mental health or substance use disorder services in mental health professional shortage areas. These payments are paid from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund. No publicly available information on overall budgetary or fiscal estimates is included in the bill text provided.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.