Say What? The House Just Passed a Bi-Partisan Bill With No Spending Increase
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved mental health reform legislation Wednesday afternoon. The Washington Examiner reports that a bill to reform mental illness programs sponsored by Rep. Tim Murphy, R-PA (F,49%) was approved 422 to 2.
Instead of a sweeping overhaul, the measure makes incremental changes to how 112 government agencies coordinate with each other, compensate providers and make care available to those suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and other illnesses.
Its provisions include making some changes to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – requiring its director to have a clinical background and changing the way it reviews grants — and calling for studies and reviews that could lead to future reforms in the way mental healthcare is delivered and patients are treated.
Murphy, a clinical psychologist, applauded the passage of this bill, which he introduced in its original form in 2013.
“We’re here finally to speak up for the last, the lost, the least and the lonely — that is, those who suffer from mental illness that is untreated,” he said.
The bill does not increase federal spending and actually reduces net Medicaid spending by $5 million over the next ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The bill heads to the Senate next. (For more from the author of “Say What? The House Just Passed a Bi-Partisan Bill With No Spending Increase” please click HERE)
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