2 bills to expand mental health coverage introduced

Two bills to expand mental health coverage were introduced Thursday.

National Journal: Senators Introduce Bill To Expand Medicare Mental Health Coverage
In a bipartisan effort to bring equality to mental illness coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, introduced a bill eliminating psychiatric care caps. Under current Medicare regulations, beneficiaries are offered up to 190 days of inpatient psychiatric treatment in a hospital through the lifetime of the policy. Under Kerry and Snowe's bill the limitation will be eliminated and Medicare mental health coverage would be equal to that offered in private insurance (Fung, 2/17).

The Hill: Rep. Napolitano Gets Celebrity Support For Mental Health Bill
The co-chairwoman of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus is hoping celebrity athletes and last month's shooting tragedy in Arizona will boost interest in her legislation to fund mental health services at public schools. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) unveiled her Mental Health in Schools Act on Thursday alongside L.A. Lakers forward Ron Artest and boxer Mia St. John, both of whom are long-time advocates for mental health services. The legislation authorizes $200 million in competitive grants that would provide mental health professionals in 200 or so public schools (Pecquet, 2/17).