(ii) a reduction in inappropriate emer-
gency room admissions and readmissions; 
and 
(iii) evidence of adequate access to 
crisis care centers and crisis bed services. 
(B) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary shall 
carry out this subsection through notice and 
comment rulemaking, following a request for in-
formation from stakeholders. 
(C) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—To carry out this subsection, there is 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
necessary to remain available until expended. 
(c) COMPONENTS
OF
CRISIS
RESPONSE
CON-
TINUUM.—The crisis response continuum consists of at 
least the following components: 
(1) CRISIS CALL CENTERS.—Regional clinically 
managed crisis call centers that provide telephonic 
crisis intervention capabilities. Such centers should 
meet National Suicide Prevention Lifeline oper-
ational guidelines regarding suicide risk assessment 
and engagement and offer air traffic control-quality 
coordination of crisis care in real-time. 
(2) MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM.—Teams 
of providers that are available to reach any indi-
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vidual in the service area in their home, workplace, 
or any other community-based location of the indi-
vidual in crisis in a timely manner. 
(3) CRISIS RECEIVING AND STABILIZATION FA-
CILITIES.—Subacute inpatient facilities and other 
facilities specified by the Secretary that provide 
short-term observation and crisis stabilization serv-
ices to all referrals, including the following services: 
(A) 23-HOUR CRISIS STABILIZATION SERV-
ICES.—A direct care service that provides indi-
viduals in severe distress with up to 23 consecu-
tive hours of supervised care to assist with de-
escalating the severity of their crisis or need for 
urgent care in a sub-acute inpatient setting. 
(B) SHORT-TERM
CRISIS
RESIDENTIAL 
SERVICES.—A direct care service that assists 
with deescalating the severity of an individual’s 
level of distress or need for urgent care associ-
ated with a substance use or mental health dis-
order in a residential setting. 
(4) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH URGENT CARE FA-
CILITIES.—Ambulatory services available 12–24 
hours per day, 7 days a week, where individuals ex-
periencing crisis can walk in without an appointment 
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to receive crisis assessment, crisis intervention, 
medication, and connection to continuity of care. 
(5) ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND PROVIDERS.— 
The Secretary shall specify additional facilities and 
health care providers as part of the crisis response 
continuum, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(d) RELATIONSHIP TO STATE LAW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the standards established under this section are min-
imum standards and nothing in this section may be 
construed to preclude a State from establishing ad-
ditional standards, so long as such standards are not 
inconsistent with the requirements of this section or 
other applicable law. 
(2) WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—The Secretary 
shall establish a process under which a State may 
request a waiver or modification of a standard estab-
lished under this section. 
SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES. 
(a) COVERAGE UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 1861(s)(2) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is 
amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (GG), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
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(B) in subparagraph (HH), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(II) crisis response services as defined in sub-
section (lll);’’. 
(2) CRISIS
RESPONSE
SERVICES
DEFINED.— 
Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘Crisis Response Services Defined 
‘‘(lll)(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘crisis response 
services’ means mental or behavioral health services that 
are furnished by a mobile crisis response team, a crisis 
receiving and stabilization facility, behavioral health ur-
gent care facility, or other appropriate provider, as deter-
mined by the Secretary, to an individual experiencing a 
mental or behavioral health crisis. Such term includes 
services identified by the Secretary as part of the crisis 
response continuum of care under section 2 of the Behav-
ioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the terms 
‘mobile crisis response team’, ‘crisis receiving and sta-
bilization facility’, and ‘behavioral health urgent care facil-
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ity’ have the meaning given those terms for purposes of 
such section.’’. 
(3) PAYMENT.—Section 1833(a)(1) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)) is amend-
ed— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and (DD)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(DD)’’; and 
(B) by inserting before the semicolon at 
the end the following: ‘‘and (EE) with respect 
to crisis response services described in section 
1861(s)(2)(II), the amounts paid shall be 80 
percent of the lesser of the actual charge for 
the service or the fee schedule amount provided 
under section 1848’’. 
(4) AMBULANCE TRANSPORT OF INDIVIDUALS 
IN CRISIS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 1834(l) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(l)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(18) TRANSPORTATION
OF
INDIVIDUALS
IN 
CRISIS.—With respect to ambulance services fur-
nished on or after the date that is 3 years after the 
date of the enactment of the Behavioral Health Cri-
sis Services Expansion Act, the regulations described 
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