Bill Overview
Title: Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022
Description: This bill reauthorizes through FY2027, expands, and modifies programs, grants, and activities that focus on mental and behavioral health. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes and modifies the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances Program, the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Grant, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program, grants related to suicide prevention, and grants to support the behavioral health workforce. Additionally, the bill expands access to opioid and other substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. For example, the bill (1) eliminates a provision that generally requires individuals to be addicted to opioids for at least a year before being admitted to an opioid treatment program, and (2) promotes access to high-quality recovery housing. Other matters addressed by the bill include coordination of federal efforts related to behavioral health; maternal mental health and substance use disorders; prevention and treatment of mental and behavioral health issues for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, first responders, tribal populations, and other specified groups; best practices for a crisis response continuum of care; eating disorders; school-based mental health services; coverage of mental and behavioral health care through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, including for juveniles in public institutions; oversight of pharmacy benefit managers; compliance with federal mental health parity requirements, including by self-funded, nonfederal insurance plans; and integration of behavioral health in primary care settings.
Sponsors: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals affected by mental health and substance use issues globally
Estimated Size: 50000000
- The bill contains provisions that impact children with serious emotional disturbances, which is a significant portion of youth in need of mental health support.
- There are specific grants and programs related to suicide prevention and maternal depression, influencing demographic subgroups heavily reliant on mental health services.
- Behavioral health workforce grants suggest a systemic boost to mental health service access which can impact the entire population requiring such services.
- Opioid use disorder treatments will influence communities widely, especially considering the opioid crisis affecting millions globally.
Reasoning
- The bill targets various key segments of mental and behavioral health, impacting a diverse range of individuals.
- Since the target population includes children with emotional disturbances, people suffering from substance abuse, and adults with mental health issues, the sample should reflect these diverse groups.
- Considering budget constraints, not everyone in need may be impacted; hence, the range from no impact to high impact must be represented.
- Planned longevity of the policy suggests we need to capture long-term impacts, hence the focus on wellbeing scores over two decades.
Simulated Interviews
Primary care physician (rural Ohio)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems promising as it aims to integrate behavioral health in primary care, which is desperately needed in rural areas.
- I hope it addresses the mental health parity issues in insurance plans that affect treatment coverage for my patients.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
High school student (suburban New York)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might help me get better mental health services without my parents doing so much juggling with providers and schools.
- I hope the programs focus on youth and make it simpler to get consistent help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 4 |
Retired veteran (urban Texas)
Age: 63 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Eliminating the one-year addiction requirement for opioid treatment is a great step. I should have the chance to get treatment immediately when I'm ready.
- Access to high-quality recovery housing is crucial for my stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Tech industry (urban California)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Grants for treating maternal depression could really help me find and afford specialized care.
- The mental health parity compliance could push my insurance to finally cover the treatments I need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
CEO of a small business (urban Illinois)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill's push for mental health parity could affect our company costs related to health insurance.
- I support any effort that could boost my employees' mental health and productivity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired (California)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The focus on identification and treatment of eating disorders could finally give me access to proper treatment.
- I hope Medicare adapts with these changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Community health worker (tribal area, Montana)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see potential in this policy for our community. More resources to prevent and treat mental health and substance use issues are needed.
- I hope the cultural and logistical differences on tribal lands are taken into account.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
College student (urban New York)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More funding for mental health services is good, but I am worried about continuity of care after college.
- The policy should address mental health service access for young adults post-graduation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Volunteer firefighter (rural Kentucky)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Mental health services block grant could be a game changer in our rural community where services are scarce.
- We need more support beyond physical health, especially in mentally taxing professions like firefighting.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Policy analyst (urban Washington, D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill is essential in addressing mental health disparities and enhancing access through systemic supports.
- The inclusion of a robust workforce grant could address local shortages and improve general service quality.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $800000000 (Low: $700000000, High: $900000000)
Year 2: $850000000 (Low: $750000000, High: $950000000)
Year 3: $900000000 (Low: $800000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 5: $1000000000 (Low: $900000000, High: $1100000000)
Year 10: $600000000 (Low: $500000000, High: $700000000)
Year 100: $300000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $400000000)
Key Considerations
- The bill will significantly impact the healthcare sector, calling for increased federal health expenditures initially.
- Long-term benefits could materialize in terms of healthcare savings and enhanced societal productivity.
- Implementation and effective execution of programs will be critical in realizing potential savings and GDP impact.
- Mental health parity compliance will ensure broad impact but might require monitoring and enforcement.