The Washington Post (10/30, Sun) reports that yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee “heard testimony to address comprehensive mental health legislation.” Speaking before the committee, outgoing National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel, MD, “told lawmakers that the criminal justice system has become the ‘de facto mental health system in this country.’” Dr. Insel also used his time to call for “investment in more science ‘if we’re going to come up with treatments that are going to be more effective.’” Also on Thursday, the American Psychiatric Association hosted an “afternoon briefing in the House on decriminalizing people with mental illness.”
The Congressional Quarterly (10/30, Zanona, Subscription Publication) reports that S 1945, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), “aims to enhance federal mental health programs and research.” The bill is not anticipated “to see floor action until next year, though committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., indicated he wants to hold another hearing on the topic before the end of this year.”
The Hartford (CT) Courant (10/30, Altimari) “Capitol Watch” blog points out that S 1945 “calls for the appointment of an assistant secretary for mental health and substance abuse within the federal Department of Health and Human Services.” In addition, the proposed legislation would “increase funding for additional outpatient and inpatient treatment slots, add new enforcement provisions to the mental health parity law,” as well as “allocate more money for research into the causes and treatment of mental illness, and remove a rule” barring Medicaid “from paying for mental health treatment and physical health treatment on the same day.”
According to Modern Healthcare (10/30, Shannon Muchmore, Subscription Publication), both S 1945 and HR 2646, legislation introduced into the House of Representatives by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), “seek to clarify privacy rules in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [PL 104-191] to ensure that doctors understand they are able to share some diagnostic and treatment information with parents and other caregivers.” The proposed privacy rule clarification has concerned some lawmakers, however, prompting “nearly 20 House Democrats” to send “a letter(pdf) to the leadership of the House Energy & Commerce Committee that criticizes the House bill for its proposed changes to patient privacy laws and its incentives for states to implement assisted outpatient-therapy laws.” Also covering the story are the Connecticut Mirror (10/30, Radelat) and the Connecticut Post (10/30, Freedman).
Related Links:
— “Mental health in the spotlight Thursday on Capitol Hill,” Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, October 29, 2015.