H.R. 9990: Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2026

This bill would change Medicare rules to make it easier for people to get certain mental health services from clinical psychologists, especially in areas where mental health professionals are harder to find.

What it would do

• Add a 10% bonus payment for Medicare services provided by clinical psychologists in areas that are officially designated as health professional shortage areas. This extra payment would go to the psychologist, or in some cases to an employer or facility, and would begin with services furnished in 2026, with the payment rules taking effect for services on or after January 1, 2027.
• Expand who can supervise or oversee certain covered psychologist services under Medicare. In several care settings, the bill would allow a patient receiving qualified psychologist services to be under the care or supervision of a clinical psychologist, not only a physician, if state law allows it.
• Apply this change to multiple care settings, including:
  • Comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities
  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • Partial hospitalization programs
  • Home health services
  • Inpatient psychiatric hospital services
• Update Medicare’s payment language so clinical psychologists are treated more like physicians for certain payment and supervision rules related to these services.
• Preserve existing consultation expectations between psychologists and a beneficiary’s physician, meaning the bill says it should not be read as removing current requirements for clinical consultation where those rules already apply.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill is meant to make it easier for Medicare patients to access psychological and behavioral health care from clinical psychologists, especially in underserved areas. It does this by paying a small bonus in shortage areas and by reducing some supervision and approval barriers in Medicare-covered care settings, while still leaving state law limits in place.

Relevant Companies

• None found