Outpatient Mental Health Modernization Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-1564
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20]
Introduced: 2019-03-06
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies

Aging

Disability and health-based discrimination

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Home and outpatient care

Hospital care

Medicare

Mental health

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2019-03-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-03-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Outpatient Mental Health Modernization Act of </strong><b>2019</b></p> <p>This bill includes nutritional planning, meals, and transportation, as well as vocational and employment counseling services, as covered partial-hospitalization services under Medicare.</p> <p>The Department of Health and Human Services&nbsp;shall convene a Behavioral Health Advisory Committee to address specified issues, including discrimination against the chronically mentally ill, elderly, and veterans in relation to treatment for mental illness.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1564 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 6, 2019 Mr. Hastings (for himself, Ms. Jackson Lee , and Mrs. Dingell ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means , and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to stabilize and modernize the provision of partial hospitalization services under the Medicare Program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Outpatient Mental Health Modernization Act of 2019 . 2. Allowable partial hospitalization services (a) In general Section 1861(ff)(2) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(ff)(2) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (H) by striking , and at the end; (2) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as subparagraph (K); (3) in subparagraph (K), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by striking (but in no event to include meals and transportation) ; (4) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following new subparagraphs: (I) nutritional planning, meals, and transportation, (J) vocational and employment counseling services, and ; and (5) by adding at the end the following new sentence: The guidelines established under the preceding sentence shall not allow for nutritional planning, meals, and transportation to be considered as meeting the minimum number of services requirement in order to receive payment for such items and services. . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2020. 3. Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (a) In general Not later than January 1, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall convene a Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the Advisory Committee ) composed of stakeholders in the behavioral health community. (b) Duties The Advisory Committee shall address issues relating to— (1) discrimination against the chronically mentally ill, elderly, and United States veterans as it relates to receiving treatment for mental illness; (2) the establishment of conditions of participation for community mental health centers (as defined in paragraph (3)(B) of section 1861(ff) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(ff) )) that provide partial hospitalization services (as defined in paragraph (1) of such section) under the Medicare program under title XVIII of such Act; and (3) other matters to be determined jointly by the Secretary and the Advisory Committee. (c) Implementation Not later than January 1, 2023, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, shall implement conditions of participation for community mental health centers (as so defined) that provide partial hospitalization services (as so defined) under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.