Bill Overview
Title: Mental Health Matters Act
Description: This bill requires certain federal actions to increase access to mental and behavioral health care. Among other provisions, the bill creates various grants to increase the number of school-based mental health services providers, establishes requirements for institutions of higher education concerning students with disabilities, prohibits arbitration and discretionary clauses in employer-sponsored benefit plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and establishes an occupational research program on mental health.
Sponsors: Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11]
Target Audience
Population: People needing mental and behavioral health care services
Estimated Size: 200000000
- The bill aims to increase access to mental and behavioral health care at various levels including school-based services and higher education.
- School-based mental health services reach children and adolescents enrolled in schools, who may benefit from increased access to mental health providers.
- Higher education institutions will have additional requirements related to students with disabilities, impacting students enrolled in colleges and universities.
- The prohibition of arbitration and discretionary clauses will affect employees under employer-sponsored benefit plans.
Reasoning
- The budget of $750 million USD in year 1 suggests significant investment in infrastructure and human resources for mental health services, though it will only make a fraction of the necessary changes across the large target group.
- The policy directly impacts students in schools and higher education, and employees with employer-sponsored plans, reflecting a wide scope but different degrees of personal impact.
- Certain groups may report no change in wellbeing if they do not fall into the policy’s direct target segments, such as those not covered by employer plans or not in need of mental health services.
- Additionally, the policy may provide only low to medium impacts to those outside major urban centers where services are slower to roll out or where access has been traditionally limited.
- Given the broad scope but substantial limitations in budget relative to the size of the population, many people might feel only minimal direct effects.
Simulated Interviews
High School Student (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Increased access to mental health services at school might really help me manage my anxiety better and improve my grades.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
University Student (Austin, TX)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Changes to disability services in college could make it easier for me to focus on my studies without constant worries about accommodation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Graphic Designer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 25 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think prohibiting arbitration clauses in health plans is great. It adds a layer of security to how disputes are handled.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Middle School Teacher (Cleveland, OH)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having more mental health services for students might indirectly improve my work environment.
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 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Farmer (Rural Iowa)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't think this policy affects me much given my current situation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Corporate Lawyer (New York City, NY)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Prohibiting arbitration could safeguard my interests more effectively but given my knowledge of law, I already navigate this okay.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Public School Principal (Chicago, IL)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful this policy helps alleviate some pressures by increasing mental health support for my students.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Freelance Writer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As I am not on an employer's plan, and I don't use school services, this policy doesn't seem to impact me directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Call Center Employee (Detroit, MI)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Employer plan changes might offer more freedom in disputes, which can be comforting.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Tech Company Manager (Seattle, WA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm looking forward to seeing how much this helps my team’s utilization of mental health resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $750000000 (Low: $500000000, High: $1000000000)
Year 2: $800000000 (Low: $550000000, High: $1050000000)
Year 3: $850000000 (Low: $600000000, High: $1100000000)
Year 5: $950000000 (Low: $700000000, High: $1250000000)
Year 10: $1200000000 (Low: $900000000, High: $1500000000)
Year 100: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Key Considerations
- Budget allocation for grants and compliance with new education and health service mandates will determine success.
- Cross-sector collaboration between education, health care, and labor sectors will be crucial for effective implementation.
- The scale of mental health improvements and compliance with the bill's mandates will influence long-term savings and economic impacts.