AH President and CEO Chip Kahn sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Finance Committee today endorsing S. 3430, the Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act. The letter highlights several important provisions in the bill that will help patients and increase access to care.
“FAH commends the Committee’s leadership in pursuing bipartisan solutions to expand access to mental health care, reduce prescription drug costs for seniors, and extend critical Medicare and Medicaid programs,” wrote Kahn. “Eliminating DSH cuts through 2026 is a crucial step towards protecting the health care safety net for the nation’s uninsured and most vulnerable. This vital provision will help ensure that hospitals can continue to provide the lifesaving services on which millions of Americans depend.”
The letter, which was sent to Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), also expressed support for other policies in the legislation, including:
- Expanding access to mental health care by making permanent the state option to provide medical assistance for certain individuals who are in Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD).
- Averting the 1.25 percent Medicare Physician Fee Schedule cut scheduled for 2024.
- Increasing oversight of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, specifically the intent to ensure that patients only pay in-network cost sharing amounts for providers that are listed as “in-network.”
Read the complete letter HERE.
