Reps. Murphy, Johnson introduce revised mental health bill

Reps. Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) yesterday reintroduced a revamped Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, H.R. 2646, which would make a number of changes to the nation’s mental health system. The bill seeks to promote more scientific research into behavioral health treatment, expand access and improve treatment for patients with serious mental illness, develop strategies to increase the mental health and substance abuse workforce, and impose greater controls over the federal grant-making process. In addition, the bill would create an Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders within the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate programs across different agencies; eliminate the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services under Medicare; amend the Medicaid institution for mental disease exclusion, allowing states to use Medicaid funding to cover IMD services; revise Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act standards on the release of personal mental health information in emergency situations; and require the Government Accountability Office to study health plans’ compliance with mental health parity laws. Murphy and Johnson introduced similar legislation in December 2013.