CMS will implement new behavioral health reimbursement policies in 2025, and the Biden administration has finalized rules toughening mental health parity requirements for insurers.
Here are five behavioral health regulation updates to know:
- CMS will add Medicare reimbursement for FDA-approved digital therapies for mental health in 2025. The agency will also introduce separate coding and payment for safety planning interventions and make several other behavioral health updates.
- The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards scrapped a plan to create a new, second part to the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. Several state licensing boards pushed back on the additional section to the exam, which would have cost applicants $450 on top of the $800 licensing fee for the current knowledge exam.
- The Drug Enforcement Administration is set to extend rules that allow controlled substances to be prescribed through telehealth. The proposal did not specify how long the extension would be for, according to Politico.
- The Biden Administration finalized rules requiring insurers to cover mental healthcare at the same level as other health services. The new regulations will bar health plans from using more restrictive prior authorization requirements for mental health than for other forms of care. Most regulations take effect Jan. 1, 2025.
- CMS will bump inpatient psychiatric payments slightly in 2025, increasing inpatient rates by 2.8%.