March 23, 2023 3:00 a.m.

On Wednesday U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado introduced legislation that would expand access to mental and behavioral health care for all Americans on Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part 4 and Medicaid.

Wyden said, “Mental health care should be affordable, reliable and accessible for everyone”. Wyden is the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid. Wyden said, “For too long, mental health care has taken a back seat to physical health in the United States”.  He said, “This bill begins to tip the scales by applying mental health parity protections across the health care system, and strengthening penalties on insurance companies that flout the rules. This legislation will help Oregonians and those struggling with their mental health nationwide get the care when they need it”. Wyden said he’ll keep fighting to make mental health parity a reality in the country.

Wyden’s release said nearly one in five American adults suffer from mental illness. One in four older adults reported having anxiety or depression and more than four in ten high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless. Around a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries live with mental illness, but only half of them receive treatment.

A summary of the legislation is linked: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/1/4/14bbbf61-ea04-4045-ba1f-df31bdf87da7/6029E5281758B18690051CD129AA808A.better-mental-health-care-for-americans-act-summary.pdf