This bill establishes a Medicare demonstration program focused on expanding crisis response services for behavioral health emergencies. Starting by January 2026, the program will test whether paying Medicare to cover crisis services reduces emergency department visits, improves access to mental health and substance use crisis care, lowers costs, and improves patient outcomes. Eligible providers such as mobile crisis response teams, crisis stabilization facilities, and behavioral health urgent care clinics can participate if they meet federal standards, including being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and having qualified medical staff on hand. Medicare will reimburse participating providers a fixed monthly amount based on average costs of providing these services, with payments coming from the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must report to Congress within three years on whether the program achieved its goals, including analyzing any reduction in jail incarceration and the quality of services provided.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.