H.R.5462, the Michelle Alyssa Go Act, has been filed by Representative Daniel S. Goldman and introduced to the House. It currently has 8 co-sponsors.

Under current Medicaid rules, many small mental health and addiction treatment facilities are excluded from reimbursement due to the outdated “Institution for Mental Diseases” (IMD) exclusion. H.R. 5462 would amend this policy by allowing Medicaid coverage for facilities with 36 beds or fewer that meet nationally recognized, evidence-based standards of care. This bill would help close treatment gaps, reduce pressure on emergency rooms and the criminal justice system, and ultimately improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. 

You can read the full bill text here. 

To help this bill to have improved chances of moving forward during this legislative session, it helps to add as many co-sponsors for the bill as possible, from both political parties. We are asking advocates to send emails to their federal legislators, to ask them to consider signing on as co-sponsors. 

Please use the TAC template to send a letter to your legislators, and add your personal or professional reason for supporting this important piece of legislation.