On October 18, 2019, Governor Charlie Baker submitted House Bill 4134, An Act to Improve Health Care by Investing in Value, to the Massachusetts Legislature. The bill proposes a comprehensive set of policies designed to address barriers to behavioral health care access, including the establishment of a new system that would incentivize providers and health plans to spend more of their funds on primary care and behavioral health services while rebalancing spending in other areas. This brief provides a summary of the provisions of the bill that specifically target behavioral health care delivery and access.
Since the Governor’s bill was filed, the state Senate has passed Senate Bill 2519, An Act Addressing Barriers to Care in Mental Health, which similarly includes several provisions intended to improve access to mental health care. The Senate’s summary of the bill is available here.
