Bipartisan Bill Aims to Increase Access to Virtual Mental Health Services
Three US senators have introduced legislation to increase access to virtual mental health services for children and underserved populations.
To expand access to virtual mental health services, US Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Thune (R-SD), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) have introduced the Medicaid Ensuring Necessary Telehealth is Available Long-term (MENTAL) Health for Kids and Underserved Act.
Historically, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people found it challenging to access necessary mental health services.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also showed that pediatric mental health services decreased by 43 percent in March 2020, due to the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions. This also led to a disruption in education for children.
Brown, Thune, and Cardin, members of the Senate Finance Committee, believe that the MENTAL Health for Kids and Underserved Act can help boost education and mental health services through telehealth.
The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The new bill directs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to assist states in learning how to widen access to services while under the two programs that cover low-income populations and children.
The MENTAL Health for Kids and Underserved Act would also require CMS to provide guidance on how to integrate behavioral services best and how to implement them in school-based settings, including full-service community schools.
“As a result of the pandemic, kids across the country – especially those in underserved communities – have faced major disruptions to their educational and behavioral development, and schools have not had the resources they need,” said Brown in the press release. “We need to expand behavioral telehealth options for students, and this is one commonsense, bipartisan step to do that.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been various efforts to increase access to pediatric healthcare.
To assist schools in providing medical and mental health services, Sen. Brown introduced the bicameral Full-Service Community School Expansion Act in February 2021. This bill intends to help create youth development programs and maintain education courses serving various populations.
In November 2021, TD Bank awarded a grant to support Nemours Children Health initiative, hoping to enhance pediatric care. Researchers noted that the COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for pediatric mental health services but also limited access to them. Using the grant, Nemours plans to create an integrated model of care to meet the needs of children in Florida.
Another recent study provided data on how the integration of pediatric behavioral healthcare into primary care.s. Developed by researchers from Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Public Health, the program sought to assist marginalized children in receiving robust and more accessible behavioral healthcare.