Expanding Access to Mental Health Services Act

This bill permanently expands Medicare telehealth coverage for specific mental health services. It adds 20 new HCPCS codes (like 90875 for therapy and 96125 for counseling) to Medicare's telehealth list, allowing audio-only sessions for certain services starting April 2023. The key change waives the requirement for video technology in telehealth, permitting audio-only visits when clinically appropriate and no in-person visit is needed first. This directly affects Medicare beneficiaries seeking mental health care, particularly in rural or underserved areas with limited video access, and the providers serving them. The policy change makes accessing behavioral health services via telehealth more flexible and accessible under Medicare.