For rural New Mexicans seeking mental healthcare, the nearest available specialist can be less a short drive than a logistical ordeal. A bipartisan Senate proposal backed by Sen. Martin Heinrich aims to cut through Medicare rules that supporters say can leave patients waiting for care that should be available closer to home.
The Increasing Mental Health Options Act was introduced last Thursday and is now drawing fresh attention in New Mexico, as reported by the Los Alamos Daily Post. Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas are only about half as likely as those in urban areas to see a mental health specialist, according to the report.
What The Bill Would Change For Medicare Patients
As outlined on Heinrich’s legislation page, the Senate bill would allow psychologists participating in Medicare to independently provide services in all Medicare treatment settings. It would also eliminate a physician-approval requirement that supporters say can delay treatment and make psychologists eligible for Medicare bonus payments when they practice in mental health professional shortage areas.
Heinrich said the proposal would help Medicare patients receive care sooner in their home communities, while Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said it would cut needless red tape so psychologists can treat patients sooner, particularly in rural areas. The House companion is being led by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York, with Reps. Judy Chu, August Pfluger and Jan Schakowsky listed as cosponsors.
New Mexico Already Has A Serious Access Problem
The proposal arrives as New Mexico is still trying to turn major behavioral-health investments into reliably available care. A May report from the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee said the state had invested more than $2.4 billion in provider rate increases since 2022, yet had little evidence that access or outcomes were improving; its secret-shopper survey found it took an average of 14 calls to schedule a new behavioral-health appointment, while 47% of offered appointments exceeded the state’s 10-day standard.
The same state review found that assertive community treatment teams remain concentrated in urban areas, leaving many rural communities without that level of support. It also noted that New Mexico had seven mobile crisis teams operating statewide, underscoring why a federal effort to recruit and retain psychologists in shortage areas is being pitched as one piece of a much larger access puzzle.
A Bipartisan Pitch With A Long Paper Trail
The legislation is a revised return of a proposal that has circulated in Congress for several years. In 2024, Malliotakis’ office described an earlier version as a way to remove physician-approval barriers in settings such as skilled nursing facilities and extend Medicare incentives to psychologists serving shortage areas.
The bill has support from the American Psychological Association, the New Mexico Psychological Association and New Mexico healthcare and assisted-living groups, according to the Los Alamos Daily Post. It has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, meaning the proposal still faces the usual congressional obstacle course before any rural patient sees a change in the rules.
