The U.S. Senate has passed its bipartisan Improving Access to Behavioral Health Information Technology Act to help behavioral health care providers – like psychologists and psychiatric hospitals – adopt electronic health records.
The bill, introduced by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) last August, is cosponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The legislation would authorize the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide incentives to adopt electronic health technology to behavioral health care providers, improving the coordination and quality of care for Americans with mental health, addiction and other behavioral health care needs.
