COMPLETE Care Act
Bipartisan Bill Proposes Major Pay Boost for Doctors Combining Mental Health and Primary Care
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill aims to make it easier for seniors and people with disabilities to get mental health support during their regular doctor visits. Instead of having to find a separate specialist, patients could get help for things like depression or anxiety right at their primary care office.
- To encourage this, Medicare would pay doctors significantly more for these combined services. In 2027, payments for these specific services would jump by 75%. The extra pay would then slowly decrease to 50% in 2028 and 25% in 2029.
- Starting in 2026, the government would provide expert help and training to medical offices. This technical assistance will teach doctors how to set up their practices to handle both physical and mental health at the same time.
- This change is designed to fix a common problem where mental health and physical health are treated as completely separate things. By paying more, Congress hopes more doctors will hire mental health staff or use new tools to screen and treat patients.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Small primary care practices would be eligible for technical assistance starting in 2026 to help them adopt behavioral health integration models like the Collaborative Care Model. The significant Medicare payment increases (up to 75% more) could make it financially viable for smaller practices to hire behavioral health staff or implement new screening tools, creating a new revenue stream.
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 articles
Senate Committee Advances Bill on Mental Health, PBMs, and 'Ghost Provider' Networks
The Senate Finance Committee advanced a legislative package including incentives for mental health integration in primary care. The bill aims to close the 11-year gap between symptom onset and treatment by supporting team-based care models for Medicare beneficiaries.
The Reintroduction of the Complete Care Act: A Vital Step Forward for Integrated Care
Senators John Cornyn and Catherine Cortez Masto reintroduced the COMPLETE Care Act to integrate mental health services into primary care. The bill promotes the Collaborative Care Model in Medicare, allowing patients to receive holistic care for depression and anxiety at their doctor's office.
New Policy Changing the Mental Health Landscape: Extenders Act
The Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act embeds the principles of the COMPLETE Care Act. It proposes a tiered payment system for Medicare BHI services, starting at 175% of the fee schedule in 2026 to help offset implementation costs for primary care practices.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
COMPLETE Care Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.