A bill to improve outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries with major depressive disorder or other mental health conditions.
Source: Congress.gov ·
301 words in original text
What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create guidance for state Medicaid programs about covering genetic testing for people with major depressive disorder or other mental health conditions. The guidance will include examples of how states can use pharmacogenetic testing (a test that shows how a person's genes affect medication) to help doctors choose the right medications.
Who It Affects
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (the federal agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid)
• State Medicaid programs and Medicaid Directors
• People who qualify for Medicaid and have major depressive disorder or other mental health conditions
• Doctors who treat these patients
• Medicare and health insurance companies
Key Provisions
• The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must issue guidance within 1 year of the bill becoming law through a State Medicaid Director letter (Sec. 1)
• The guidance must specify best practices to improve outcomes for Medicaid-eligible individuals with major depressive disorder or other mental health conditions (Sec. 1)
• The guidance must include coverage policy examples using pharmacogenetic testing to help clinicians choose medications and reduce trial and error (meaning multiple attempts to find the right treatment) (Sec. 1)
What Changes
State Medicaid programs will receive federal guidance on best practices for covering genetic testing related to mental health treatment. This guidance will help doctors make better medication choices for patients using genetic testing information.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
Effective Date
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must issue the guidance no later than 1 year after this bill becomes law.
Important: This plain English summary was generated by AI and is provided for informational purposes only.
It is not legal advice. Always consult the official bill text on Congress.gov
or a qualified attorney for legal matters.