An act relating to expanding community health teams to provide additional mental health and substance use disorder services

This bill expands Vermont's community health teams to better support patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs by adding screening, intervention, and treatment services to their existing care offerings. The legislation requires these multidisciplinary teams to collaborate more closely with medical homes and community organizations to coordinate care, while also establishing a two-year pilot program to test and evaluate these expanded services. Additionally, the bill mandates a financial report from the Department of Vermont Health Access to track funding contributions from different payers, including Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurers, to support these community health initiatives. The changes are designed to improve patient outcomes through more integrated care and will take effect on July 1, 2023.