Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate would establish a permanent funding structure under Medicare for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
The Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act, introduced by John Cornyn, R-Texas, Tina Smith, D-Minn., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., would formally authorize coverage of CCBHC services and create a designated payment model under Medicare, according to a Dec. 9 news release from Mr. Cornyn’s office.
The model, created by Congress in 2014, provides mental health, substance use and crisis care services to vulnerable populations. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 codified the model as a permanent option under Medicaid, but no such structure exists in Medicare.
The legislation would also expand grants, allow CCBHCs to integrate primary care, and create national infrastructure to track outcomes and quality across clinics, according to the release.
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