The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) issued a letter supporting the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Reauthorization Act of 2022 (S. 4170), introduced by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The legislation would reauthorize critical federal mental health and substance abuse disorder programs set to expire in September 2022.
“We appreciate your leadership in recognizing the importance of these programs that were signed into law in 2016 as part of the Mental Health Reform Act,” writes James Gelfand, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs at ERIC. “Your legislation coincides with many of the policies proposed in our report “Prioritizing Employee Mental Health: Solutions for Congress” and we look forward to supporting your efforts in passing this bill into law to benefit employees, workers, and families seeking mental and behavioral health services.
ERIC supports the legislation as it:
- Increases education funding for provider programs, especially the minority fellowship program.
- Integrates multiple health care disciplines through collaboration to provide patients with higher quality care.
- Encourages innovation and evidence-based programs within the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory
- Evaluates data collection and public reporting on mental health and substance abuse grants and programs.
“Additionally, your bill focuses on helping patients, not on punishing employers,” said Gelfand. “Employers support many innovative solutions in the behavioral and mental health space, and we applaud you for focusing on areas of consensus, rather than pursuing partisan and unproductive proposals designed to cast blame and aspersions, rather than improve care for patients.” To read the full text of ERIC’s letter in support of the Mental Health Reform Authorization Act of 2022, visit its website at: https://www.eric.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/5-25-22-ERIC-Support-Letter-Mental-Health-Reform-Reauthorization-Act-of-2022-FINAL.pdf.