COVID-19 Emergency Reforms in Massachusetts to Support Behavioral Health Care and Reduce Mortality of People With Serious Mental Illness

What is it about?

Highlights: 1. People with serious mental illness and the community-based behavioral health organizations where they seek and receive care across the nation are both at extreme risk for catastrophic outcomes in the current COVID-19 pandemic. 2. The State of Massachusetts has rapidly responded to this crisis by rapidly implementing a variety of policy, regulatory, and payment reforms designed to enhance remote telehealth delivery of care, access to needed medications and residential care staff, and support the financial livelihood of community-based behavioral health services at a time of dramatic declines in revenues and a diminished workforce. 3. If shown to improve access and mitigate adverse outcomes, rapid state and federal policy reforms implemented during this health care crisis such as flexible coverage for telehealth and population-based payments should be considered as the “new normal” for the future health and welfare of people with serious mental illness and community-based behavioral health organizations.

Featured Image