Medicaid accounts for 25% of all mental health spending and 21% of all substance use disorder spending in the U.S. Approximately 29% of Medicaid beneficiaries have a mental illness or substance use disorder. Federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides comprehensive health coverage to roughly 9 million children and pregnant women, including behavioral health care. The Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) advocates for public policies to protect and strengthen Medicaid and CHIP while ensuring robust coverage of behavioral health services and access to care for people living with these conditions.
Issue statements from past Congresses appear below. For statements from the current session of Congress, view the medicaid and CHIP issue statements page.
- MHLG Thanks Congressmen for Expansion of the Excellence in Mental Health Act, 1.20.16: The Mental Health Liaison Group sent a letter to Congressmen Blunt, Stabenow, Lance, and Matsui thanking them for their expansion of the two-year demonstration project.
- MHLG Urges A 4-Year Funding Extension of CHIP, 3.13.15: The Mental Health Liaison Group sent a letter to Congressional leadership advocating reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program before its expiration on September 30, 2015.
- MHLG Provides Recommendations on How to Improve the Mental Health System in The United States – 09.30.13: A letter to Max Baucus and Orrin Hatch in response to their August 2013 Open Letter, providing recommendations on how to improve the mental health system in this country.
- MHLG Submits Information for Hearing Recorded Entitled “Examining Medicare and Medicaid Coordination for Dual-Eligibles” – 07.18.12: A letter to Bob Corker to be submitted for the hearing record about dual eligibles.
- MHLG Expresses Concern about Dual Eligibles Living with Mental Illness and their Providers – 06.06.12: A letter to Melanie Bella expressing views on the current process of state demonstration proposals to integrate care for beneficiaries that are concurrently eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
- MHLG Urges Opposition to Agreements that would Significantly Cut, Block grant, or Impose Harmful Spending Caps on Medicaid – 06.23.11: A letter to John Boehner, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Mitch McConnell urging them to oppose any agreement that would harm Medicaid spending.
- MHLG Expresses Supports the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Care Demonstration Project Act, H.R. 1415 – 03.13.09: A letter to Bart Gordon thanking and showing support for H.R. 1415, that establishes a demonstration program to provide Medicaid patients equal access to all community inpatient psychiatric services.
- MHLG Express Support for the Mental Illness Chronic Care Improvement Act, S. 1136 – 06.16.09: A letter to Debbie Stabenow support S. 1136 and urging Congress to include this measure in any health care reform legislation that is enacted in this year.
- MHLG Expresses Support for S. 2578 – 02.13.08: A letter to Norm Coleman expressing support for legislation that would impose a moratorium until April 1, 2009 on the implementation of the interim final regulations for Medicaid Optional State Plan Case Management Services.
- MHLG Expresses Support for H.R. 5173 – 02.13.08: A letter to Keith Ellison extending support for legislation that would impose a moratorium until April 1, 2009 on the implementation for the interim final regulations for Medicaid Optional State Plans Case Management Services.
- MHLG Expresses Support for Mental Health Provisions in House and Senate-passed Bills – 09.06.07: A letter to different House committee chair members expressing gratitude and support for the bills that passed the House and Senate that reauthorized SCHIP.
- MHLG Expresses Support for the Children’s Mental Health Parity Act – 05.29.07: A letter to multiple Senators commending them for introducing this bill requires equitable coverage on mental health services in the SCHIP.
- MHLG Urges SCHIP to Provide Equitable Coverage of Mental Health Services – 03.07.07: A letter to House members urging them to ensure certain coverage provided by SCHIP that are key components of the full range of services needed for healthy childhood development.
- MHLG Urges Congress to Protect Medicaid Beneficiaries’ Access to Antipsychotic and Antidepressant Medications – 12.16.05: A letter to Charles Grassley urging that the final version of the Deficit Reduction Act include a provision to protect Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to certain medications.
- MHLG Expresses Views of Medicaid Reform to Congressional Medicaid Task Force – 06.19.03: A letter to Heather Wilson, Chair of the Congressional Medicaid Task Force, expressing opinions about Medicaid reform and provisions.
- MHLG Expresses Support for the Medicaid Intensive Community Mental Health Treatment Act – 08.07.02: A letter to Marcy Kaptur supporting H.R. 2364 that would enable states to enhance the capacity of their Medicaid programs to address the needs of individuals with mental health issues.
- MHLG Expresses Support for S. 2570 – 06.25.02: A letter to Susan Collins and Benjamin Nelson showing support for S. 2570 that would temporarily increase the federal share of the Medicaid program and provide temporary grants to give states fiscal relief.
- MHLG Expresses Support for the Family Opportunity Act – 03.05.01: A letter to Charles Grassley and Edward Kennedy and another letter to Pete Sessions and Henry Waxman showing support for the Family Opportunity Act helping families who earn too much to quality and increasing access to services.
- MHLG Encourage the Support of Proposed Medicaid Amendments Attached – 09.28.95: A letter to Alan Simpson encouraging him to support Medicaid provisions that would assure people with mental illness are treated equally and there is correct oversight and omissions in the list of services provided.