The Iowa House continues to expand access to mental health care

By Jon Dunwell

Over the last five years, the Legislature has passed bipartisan mental health reform, created the state’s first-ever children’s mental health system, created long-term sustainable funding for the Mental Health and Disability Services Regions, provided significant funds to mental health providers through Medicaid rates, and expanded access to mental health care through telehealth.

However, I continue to hear the recurring frustrating theme of open beds at the 27 hospitals with inpatient psychiatric units, and at the same time, the lack of beds for difficult mental health patients. This week the House overwhelmingly passed three pieces of legislation to address mental health workforce and additional beds for Iowa’s most difficult patients.

Adding Psychiatrists: House File 2529 funds 12 psychiatry residents per year with a focus on training through Iowa’s state facilities, including the mental health institutes. Iowa ranks 44th in the country in psychiatrists per capita. This bill will help increase the number of psychiatrists trained in Iowa, and provides preference to Iowans in the application process.

Mental Health Provider Loan Forgiveness: House File 2549 provides $1.5 million per year to expand loan forgiveness opportunities to recruit and retain mental health providers in Iowa. In order to receive the funds, the mental health provider must commit to providing care in Iowa for at least five years. The funds will be prioritized to those working in mental health shortage areas.

Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit: House File 2546 is a bill to require the Department of Human Services to establish a Medicaid rate for those needing a higher level of inpatient psychiatric care. By paying hospitals based on the acuity of the patient, more hospitals will be willing to care for the most difficult mental health patients.

Though it will take time to develop these new mental health services and attract mental health providers to the state, we are making great progress in expanding community supports statewide. Once all of these services are up and running, they will serve mental health patients in the proper setting, decrease the time law enforcement will spend transporting patients and waiting in Emergency Rooms and jails, but most importantly, these bills will treat Iowans with mental illness like any other health condition.

We still have work to do in mental health. Please continue to share your thoughts and ideas. There is always a “seat at my table” for your perspective.