Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce Now Act

Key Points

• This bill asks the government to help states find and keep more mental health and addiction doctors. It focuses on workers who take Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program known as CHIP.
• The goal is to make sure people in rural towns and poor neighborhoods can get the help they need. Right now, many of these areas do not have enough counselors or doctors to treat everyone who needs care.
• If passed, health officials would have one year to give states a list of ways to improve their workforce. This includes better training and new ways to hire people using existing federal money.
• The plan does not create a new program. Instead, it shows states how to use current rules and special waivers to pay for better training and recruitment for these specific health jobs.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.