Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., has reintroduced the Repealing the IMD Exclusion Act, a bill aimed at eliminating a federal Medicaid restriction on coverage for inpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
The bill would repeal the Institutions for Mental Disease exclusion, a policy dating to the 1960s that bars federal Medicaid matching funds for inpatient care delivered to adults ages 21-64 in psychiatric facilities with more than 16 beds, according to a Dec. 15 news release from Mr. Torres’ office.
He said in the release that the exclusion has contributed to shortages of inpatient psychiatric beds, as well as longer treatment wait times, and increased use of emergency rooms, jails and shelters for those in crisis.
If passed, the legislation would allow Medicaid to cover inpatient treatment in facilities that meet national standards for care, staffing and clinician services. It would also direct HHS to develop evidence-based standards for participating facilities, according to the release.
