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Congress·In Committee·about 1 year ago

Bipartisan Bill Proposes 15% Medicare Bonus for Mental Health Providers in Underserved Communities

Also known as: More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2025

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill aims to bring more mental health and addiction specialists to communities that do not have enough of them. It offers extra pay to providers who treat Medicare patients in these designated "shortage areas."
  • Under the plan, healthcare workers would get a 15% bonus on top of their normal Medicare payments for mental health or substance use services. This is a higher incentive than the 10% bonus currently given to other types of doctors in these areas.
  • The bill expands the list of people who can receive these bonuses. It includes doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists.
  • This policy addresses the national shortage of mental health care. Many people in rural or underserved areas currently struggle to find a local therapist or counselor, and this extra funding is meant to encourage more professionals to work in those spots.
HealthcareLabor Employment

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 24, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Feb 24, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

2024-01-01

If enacted, the 15% bonus payments would apply to mental health services furnished on or after January 1, 2024

The bill is written to be retroactive, meaning providers who already delivered qualifying services in shortage areas since early 2024 could receive back payments for the bonus they're owed.

Related News

5 articles
RiverBender·24 days ago

Budzinski, Mann Introduce Legislation to Expand Access to Mental Health Care in Underserved Areas

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski and Congressman Tracey Mann introduced the More Behavioral Health Providers Act to expand access to mental health care in areas struggling with provider shortages. The bipartisan bill increases Medicare bonus payments to 15% for specialists in shortage areas.

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Primary Care Collaborative·26 days ago

Budzinski, Mann introduce legislation to expand mental health care access

The bipartisan More Behavioral Health Providers Act aims to modernize Medicare's workforce incentives by expanding eligibility for bonus payments to include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical social workers who provide services in mental health shortage areas.

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AHA News·over 3 years ago

Senate Finance Committee releases draft mental health legislation

The Senate Finance Committee released a discussion draft to expand the mental health workforce, including policies to expand Medicare's Health Professional Shortage Area bonus program to attract more providers to high-need areas, paving the way for the More Behavioral Health Providers Act.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2025

Bill NumberS 683
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.