Medicare Aims to Enhance Access, Services, but Coverage Gaps May Hinder Progress 

With the growing senior population and rising mental health and substance use issues among this demographic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) are looking for new approaches to address behavioral health concerns.

Roughly 20% of people over the age of 55 have experienced a behavioral health issue, according to the CDC. In order to combat this issue, CMS has rolled out several initiatives to help expand the behavioral health workforce, offer more services and move toward value-based care.

The Biden administration continues prioritizing behavioral health for seniors in its new 2025 budget proposal. The proposal includes $8.1 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, including specific funding for older adult suicide prevention programs.

Despite these efforts, Medicare has a long way to go regarding behavioral health and moving the dial on value-based care.