Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), and Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) introduced the bipartisan Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act to help primary care doctors improve mental health care access for Medicare beneficiaries.  The bill introduction comes as the Trump administration is actively cutting staff and programs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the main government agency tasked with improving mental health across the country and addressing substance use disorders.

Many patients with mental health concerns talk to their primary care doctors first about issues they are experiencing, but this can pose a variety of challenges for both the patient and the health care provider.  If enacted, the COMPLETE Care Act would help primary care providers implement evidence-based integrated care delivery models into their practice and would provide mental health care services for Medicare beneficiaries by enhancing Medicare payment rates. 

“Expanding mental health care access is one of the most important things we can do to improve and save lives of people struggling with mental health issues,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “It is critical that we build on our efforts to improve access to mental health resources, and I am glad to partner with Congresswoman Malliotakis, Congressman Pfluger, and Congressman Horsford in this important effort.”

“So many Americans are struggling to access mental health and substance use services, and we know that there are innovative models of integrated care that can help,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A. “APA thanks Reps. Malliotakis and Fletcher for introducing the COMPLETE Care Act, legislation to enhance the Collaborative Care Model and reach patients in primary care with early identification and timely treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.”

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) also introduced this legislation in the Senate.

The COMPLETE Care Act is supported by the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, American Association on Health and Disability, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Society of Addiction Medicine, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Connections Health Solutions, Inseparable, International OCD Foundation, International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, Lakeshore Foundation, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Mental Health America, National Register of Health Service Psychologists, NHMH - No Health without Mental Health, Primary Care Collaborative, Primary Care Development Corporation, and Shatterproof. 

Congresswoman Fletcher first introduced the COMPLETE Care Act in 2023.

In 2021, Congresswoman Fletcher introduced the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner (COCM) Act, H.R. 5218.  A modified version of the bill, which establishes a grant program to help implement integrated models of care, passed the House and the Senate, and President Biden signed it into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, on December 29, 2022. 

To view the full text of the bill, click here.