A bipartisan group of U.S. House representatives have introduced a new bill aimed at increasing access to mental health services for seniors, Behavioral Health Business reports.
Dubbed the Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2022, the legislation seeks to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to psychologists and can receive mental health services regardless of their care setting. Currently Medicare does not recognize psychologists as independent clinical providers across all settings.
This comes as rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions among seniors continues to skyrocket. Over 25% of adults ages 65 to 74 report feelings of anxiety or depression, according to A Kaiswer Family Foundation report. Read more.
