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Mental-health providers urge 5% rate increase, higher pay for community mental health centers
Summary
Community mental health providers and the Association for Behavioral Health Care told the committee that chronic underfunding has driven staff losses, wait lists and clinic closures and asked for S.874/H.1396 to raise outpatient behavioral-health rates and pay mental health centers at least 20% more than comparable independent practitioners.
BOSTON — Mental-health provider organizations, clinicians and advocates urged the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing to report favorably on S.874/H.1396, legislation to increase reimbursement for outpatient behavioral-health services and to set higher minimum rates for licensed community mental health centers.
Lydia Conley, president and CEO of the Association for Behavioral Health Care, told lawmakers the bill would recognize the additional staffing and regulatory requirements at licensed mental health centers — requirements such as a medical director, mandatory minimum hours and after-hours coverage — by increasing rates for outpatient mental-health services by 5% and…
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