Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder care. The Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act will improve access to timely, effective behavioral health services in primary care settings.
“Mental health support should be as easy to access as possible for Nevadans and for everyone across America,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Our bipartisan bill helps health care providers integrate mental health and substance use disorder care into their practices, giving patients the opportunity to get the care they need in just one place. It’s a commonsense fix that makes treatment more accessible.”
“Integrating mental health care within primary care would make it easier for those battling depression, anxiety, and substance abuse to access the treatment they need,” said Senator Cornyn. “Our bill would encourage primary care providers to collaborate with behavioral health care providers to increase access to mental health care for patients, and I’m grateful to Senator Cortez Masto for her partnership on this important issue.”
“Families across the country are struggling to access needed mental health and substance use disorder services at an alarming rate. We must advance innovative models of integrated care that will meet the demand of this crisis. The APA applauds Senators Cortez Masto and Cornyn for introducing the COMPLETE Care Act that will enhance the Collaborative Care Model and provide patients with early identification and timely treatment of mental health and substance use disorder services in the primary care setting,” said American Psychiatric Association CEO and Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A.
“The American Psychological Association commends Senators Cortez Masto and Cornyn for reintroducing the COMPLETE Care Act. By integrating physicians, psychologists, and other behavioral health providers into cohesive teams, this legislation creates a win-win-win: expanding access to mental health and substance use services, improving outcomes for those with chronic conditions, and reducing healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency visits. This bill is a critical step toward treating the whole person and breaking down the barriers of fragmented care,” said American Psychological Association CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD.
“America is facing an unprecedented behavioral health crisis, and we can only address the magnitude of the needs if we make mental health screening and care as common a practice as blood pressure or heart disease screening and care. Senators Cornyn and Cortez Masto’s COMPLETE Care Act will do exactly that, helping treat more people earlier and more effectively in primary care,” said Andy Keller, President and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
“The COMPLETE Care Act is urgently needed. This bill enables primary care practices to better manage Medicare patients’ chronic physical and behavioral health conditions. This legislation offers primary care clinicians and practices new resources, staff, and support to implement evidence-based models that improve behavioral health,” said Ann Greiner, President and CEO of the Primary Care Collaborative.
The COMPLETE Care Act makes quality behavioral health services more accessible, lowers treatment costs, and increases care coordination in the primary care setting. Specifically, this bipartisan legislation temporarily increases Medicare payment for existing behavioral health integrated care codes. The bill helps clinicians and practices adopt evidence-based integrated delivery models such as the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) and the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model – which have been proven to increase access to mental health care, reduce wait times for treatments, and improve patient outcomes.
Read the full bill here.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader in the Senate on mental health issues. She helped fund and implement the 988 Suicide & Crisis lifeline, and passed bipartisan legislation to expand behavioral health crisis support services. She successfully fought to include $1 billion to support mental health services in schools in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.