More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2025
Bipartisan Bill Proposes 15% Medicare Bonus for Mental Health Providers in Underserved Communities
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
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.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Many mental health practitioners — therapists, counselors, clinical social workers — operate small independent practices. The 15% Medicare bonus payment would boost their revenue for serving patients in shortage areas, making it more financially viable to open or maintain a practice in communities that otherwise might not generate enough income to sustain one.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
5 articlesBudzinski, 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.
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.
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.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.