HR 7324
More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2026
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Bill overview
This bill, the More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2026, aims to increase Medicare payments to healthcare professionals who provide mental health and substance use disorder services in areas designated as health professional shortage areas. It expands eligibility for the Medicare health professional shortage area bonus program to include physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors. The bill increases the payment amount for these services to 10% or 15% depending on the type of service and the specific shortage area designation.
Key provisions
- Increases Medicare payments to healthcare professionals in mental health shortage areas.
- Expands eligibility for the Medicare health professional shortage area bonus program.
- Applies to physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors.
- Provides a 10% payment increase for general mental health services.
- Provides a 15% payment increase for mental health professional shortage areas.
- Defines ‘specified health services’ as services covered under Medicare furnished on or after January 1, 2027.
- Establishes a definition of ‘applicable practitioner’ including various mental health professions.
- Designates mental health professional shortage areas as identified by the Secretary.
Who is affected
- Physicians
- Physician Assistants
- Nurse Practitioners
- Clinical Social Workers
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Norton
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 7324
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand eligibility for incentives under the Medicare health professional shortage area bonus program to practitioners furnishing mental health and substance use disorder services.
This Act may be cited as the More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2026
.
Section 1833(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(m)) is amended—
by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following new paragraph:
In the case of—
physicians’ services (other than specified health services that are eligible for the additional payment under subparagraph (B)) furnished in a year to an individual, who is covered under the insurance program established by this part and who incurs expenses for such services, in an area that is designated (under section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act) as a health professional shortage area as identified by the Secretary prior to the beginning of such year, in addition to the amount otherwise paid under this part, there also shall be paid to the physician (or to an employer or facility in the cases described in clause (A) of section 1842(b)(6)) (on a monthly or quarterly basis) from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund an amount equal to 10 percent of the payment amount for the service under this part; and
specified health services (as defined in paragraph (5)) furnished in a year to an individual, who is covered under the insurance program established by this part and who incurs expenses for such services, in an area that is designated (under such section 332(a)(1)(A)) as a mental health professional shortage area as identified by the Secretary prior to the beginning of such year, in addition to the amount otherwise paid under this part, there also shall be paid to the physician or applicable practitioner (as defined in paragraph (6)) (or to an employer or facility in the cases described in clause (A) of section 1842(b)(6)) (on a monthly or quarterly basis) from such Trust Fund an amount equal to 15 percent of the payment amount for the service under this part.
in paragraph (2)—
by striking in paragraph (1)
and inserting in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1)
; and
by inserting or, in the case of specified health services, the physician or applicable practitioner
after physician
;
in paragraph (3), by striking paragraph (1)
each place it appears and inserting subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1)
;
in paragraph (4)—
in subparagraph (B), by inserting or applicable practitioner
after physician
; and
in subparagraph (C), by inserting or applicable practitioner
after physician
; and
by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
In this subsection, the term specified health services means services otherwise covered under this part that are furnished on or after January 1, 2027, by a physician or an applicable practitioner to an individual—
for purposes of diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental health disorder, as determined by the Secretary; or
with a substance use disorder diagnosis for purposes of treatment of such disorder or co-occurring mental health disorder, as determined by the Secretary.
In this subsection, the term applicable practitioner means the following:
A physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as defined in section 1861(aa)(5)).
A clinical social worker (as defined in section 1861(hh)(1)).
A clinical psychologist (as defined by the Secretary for purposes of section 1861(ii)).
A marriage and family therapist (as defined in section 1861(lll)(2)).
A mental health counselor (as defined in section 1861(lll)(4)).