Bipartisan Bill Proposes 15% Medicare Bonus for Mental Health Providers in Underserved Communities
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
No action since February 2025
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2025
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