MATSUI CELEBRATES INCLUSION OF KEY PROVISION TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE IN GOVERNMENT FUNDING PACKAGE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – CongresswomanDoris Matsui (D-CA-07) released the following statement after President Biden signed the 2024 government funding package into law. The legislation includes a key provision to establish a permanent definition of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) services under the Medicaid program. Congresswoman Matsui has introduced legislation, co-led by Representative Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08), creating this permanent definition and advocated for the inclusion of this provision in the funding package.
“As a parent, friend, neighbor, or through own our lived experience, mental health issues impact all of us. That’s why I have long fought to get resources and access to treatment into our communities,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “From prevention to recovery, there’s a full continuum to consider – and the CCBHC program is one of best tools at our disposal. Over the past decade, CCBHCs have proven their ability to close the treatment gap and provide care when and where it’s needed most. Today, President Biden signed legislation that provides a permanent pathway for states to cover CCBHC services under Medicaid. This is a key first step to making sure CCBHCs are a permanent part of our health care safety net.”
CCHBCs provide a comprehensive set of services, with an emphasis on the provision of 24/7/365 crisis care; outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment services; immediate screenings, risk assessments, and diagnoses; and care coordination including partnerships with emergency rooms, law enforcement, and veterans’ groups.
Congresswoman Matsui has led the effort to expand community-based access to mental health services since introducing the bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act, legislation that established the CCBHC Medicaid demonstration and expansion grant program in 2014. In June 2022, Congresswoman Matsui’s Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act of 2021, legislation that authorized the nationwide expansion of the CCBHC program, was signed into law as part of S. 2938, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Most recently, Congresswoman Matsui introduced legislation creating a permanent definition for CCBHC services in the Medicaid statute. The full text of that legislation can be found HERE.
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