Results

Committee names four fixes to speed adoption; two can be made by administrative action alone WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 31, 2026): Fewer than 10 percent of eligible primary care practices use Collaborative Care, eight years after Medicare created its billing codes. Today the HHS Healthcare Advisory Committee, which advises the HHS Secretary and the CMS Administrator, […]

Proposal also advances measurement-informed care, CCBHCs, and community health workers WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2026): CMS released the proposed CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, with significant payment gains for Collaborative Care, a top Path Forward priority. The fee schedule sets Medicare payment for more than 10,000 services, and commercial insurers and Medicaid programs often follow […]

More communities gain comprehensive mental health and substance use care as core grant funding holds WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 2026): HHS added 10 states to the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia. The expansion, run by CMS and SAMHSA, uses […]

Committee bill rejects the deepest proposed cuts and keeps key mental health lines flat or higher WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 2026): The House Appropriations Committee voted 34 to 28 to advance the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill provides $110.8 billion for the U.S. Department of Health […]

Two more states move a proven model from pilot toward standard practice WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 2026): Two more states have passed laws to pay for the Collaborative Care Model, which brings mental health and substance use care into the primary care visit. Path Forward partners the American Psychiatric Association and Shatterproof led the state advocacy. […]

As of July 1, 2025, both Colorado and Tennessee will now reimburse primary care providers for delivering mental health services through the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). With these updates, Colorado and Tennessee join 34 other states in covering Collaborative Care through Medicaid.

The landscape of mental health and substance use disorder care in the United States is poised for a significant transformation with the recent reintroduction of the Complete Care Act on Capitol Hill. The COMPLETE (Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective) Care Act aims to enhance access and integration of mental […]

The Path Forward, a coalition of health care purchasers, clinician associations, health systems, philanthropists, and health-related nonprofits, appreciates the Administration for its focus on ensuring improved access to quality mental health and substance use disorder care.   While this rule may prove challenging for employers and health plans in the near term, it is the responsibility […]