This legislation seeks to significantly improve the integration of behavioral health services within primary care settings under Medicare. It proposes to achieve this by offering enhanced payment incentives for specific behavioral health integration services provided by primary care practices. These incentives are designed to encourage broader adoption and utilization of integrated care models. Specifically, the bill mandates increased Medicare payment amounts for designated behavioral health integration services, identified by certain HCPCS codes, for services furnished during 2027, 2028, and 2029. Payments will be 175 percent of the standard amount in 2027, decreasing to 150 percent in 2028, and 125 percent in 2029, with these increases explicitly excluded from Medicare's budget neutrality calculations. Furthermore, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to establish programs by January 2026 to provide technical assistance to primary care practices seeking to implement behavioral health integration models, such as the Collaborative Care Model. Funding is appropriated for this technical assistance from fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to support practices in adopting these comprehensive care approaches.
This legislation seeks to significantly improve the integration of behavioral health services within primary care settings under Medicare. It proposes to achieve this by offering enhanced payment incentives for specific behavioral health integration services provided by primary care practices. These incentives are designed to encourage broader adoption and utilization of integrated care models. Specifically, the bill mandates increased Medicare payment amounts for designated behavioral health integration services, identified by certain HCPCS codes, for services furnished during 2027, 2028, and 2029. Payments will be 175 percent of the standard amount in 2027, decreasing to 150 percent in 2028, and 125 percent in 2029, with these increases explicitly excluded from Medicare's budget neutrality calculations. Furthermore, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to establish programs by January 2026 to provide technical assistance to primary care practices seeking to implement behavioral health integration models, such as the Collaborative Care Model. Funding is appropriated for this technical assistance from fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to support practices in adopting these comprehensive care approaches.