“The 21st Century Cures Act that gained congressional approval on Wednesday has been championed as a way to speed up drug development, but it’s also the most significant piece of mental health legislation since the 2008 law requiring equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health.
The bill includes provisions aimed at fighting the opioid epidemic, strengthens laws mandating parity for mental and physical health care and includes grants to increase the number of psychologists and psychiatrists, who are in short supply across the country.
It also would push states to provide early intervention for psychosis, a treatment program that has been hailed as one of the most promising mental health developments in decades.”
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Source: NPR by Liz Szabo
Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
