H.R. 7535: Second Chance Mental Health Access Act of 2026

The Second Chance Mental Health Access Act of 2026 aims to improve mental health care access for specific individuals who have recently been incarcerated. This legislation has two main components:

Coverage for Mental Health Telehealth Visits

The bill seeks to amend the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage for certain individuals who were previously incarcerated. Specifically, it mandates that these individuals, who are under home confinement due to judicial processes, receive:

• 12 mental health visits each calendar year.
• These visits can be conducted via telehealth, which allows individuals to receive care remotely instead of in person.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the mental health telehealth visits under this bill, individuals must meet the following conditions:

• They must be enrolled in Medicaid.
• They must be subject to home confinement as a result of judicial processes.
• They must have been incarcerated in a public institution immediately before their home confinement.

Implementation Timeline

The provisions of this bill will take effect for individuals who are released from a public institution on or after the bill's enactment date.

Impact on Medicaid

This legislation primarily impacts the Medicaid program by creating a new requirement for coverage related to mental health services for a specific population that may have difficulty accessing care, thus potentially improving the overall health outcomes for these individuals.

Relevant Companies

• None found