Pass the Medicaid Bump Act

Insufficient reimbursement has led to in-network provider shortages for Medicaid beneficiaries seeking mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatment.[3][4] Medicaid is the single largest payer of MH/SUD services. However, 35 percent of beneficiaries report not being able to access treatment.[5] Congress should mandate that evidence-based MH/SUD treatments are reimbursed at their true cost to incentivize providers to accept Medicaid.[1] To facilitate increased access to treatment, the Medicaid Bump Act would increase the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to provide states with additional financial resources to improve access to MH/SUD providers.[6] It would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to report on how the increased FMAP impacts access to MH/SUD services.[6] Congress should pass this important legislation.[2]