On January 13, 2016, the “Behavioral Health Care Integration Act of 2016” (H.R.4388) was introduced in the House by Representatives David Loebsack http://loebsack.house.gov, Paul Tonko http://tonko.house.gov, Joseph P. Kennedy III http://kennedy.house.gov, and Doris Matsui http://matsui.house.gov. The bill authorizes a primary and behavioral healthcare integration grant program with maximum annual grant funding of $2,000,000.
Integrated care means full collaboration would be achieved in merged or transformed practices offering behavioral and physical health services within the same shared practice space in the same facility.
An integrated care team would need to include allopathic or osteopathic medical doctors, such as a primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and licensed clinical behavioral health professionals such as psychologists and/or social workers, plus a case manager.
Other members of the team can include psychiatric advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, peer-support specialists, or other allied health professionals such as mental health counselors.
The bill would also require targeted case management to include assisting individuals with access to medical, social, educational, and other services and also provide help to people applying for income security, housing, employment, and other benefits.
The population to be treated would include:
- Adults with mental illnesses who have co-occurring primary care conditions with chronic diseases
- Children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders with co-occurring primary care conditions and chronic diseases
- Older adults with mental illness along with chronic medical conditions
- Individuals with substance use disorders
- Individuals from populations where there is disparity in the quality of care
To be eligible to receive a grant or cooperative agreement, the applicant must be a State Department of Health, State mental health and/or addiction agency, State Medicaid agency, or licensed healthcare providers, or institutions.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. For more information, go to www.congress.gov.