(3-9-16) If you think the federal government should do something to fix our mental health care system but you really can’t agree or don’t know what needs to be done then you should be pleased with the much anticipated draft version of The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016 that a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators released yesterday. (Click HERE for text of the staff discussion draft.)
It pretty much ignores the changes that Rep. Tim Murphy (R.-Pa.) is proposing in his Helping Families In Mental Health Crisis Act and also snubs much of what the House Democrats offered in the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Reform and Recovery Act of 2016 .
“The bipartisan draft legislation works to bring our mental health care system into the 21st Century by embracing mental health research and innovation, giving states the flexibility they need to meet the needs of those suffering, and improving access to care,” Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the leader of the Senate Health Committee (HELP), along with Democrat Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) and Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bill Cassidy (R. La.) declared in a joint press release.
Really? That’s tall praise for a bill that contains mostly sizzle and no steak.