Res 0592-2023

Whereas, According to the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH), approximately one in five adults in New York City lives with a mental illness; and Whereas, According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, less than half of Americans struggling with mental illness receive the treatment they need; and Whereas, According to OCMH, about 30 percent of the total population of New York City lives in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas; and Whereas, According to the New York State Office of Mental Health, the demand for mental health care services continues to grow; and Whereas, Access to treatment for behavioral health conditions relies, in part, on the supply of available providers that accept insurance; and Whereas, 4,368,608 New York City residents receive their health insurance through Medicaid as of January 2023; and Whereas, In New York, Medicaid reimburses providers 57 percent of the amount that Medicare does for the same service; Whereas, Many mental health providers do not accept Medicaid because of low reimbursement rates, according to a 2022 Government Accountability Office report; and Whereas, Low Medicaid payment rates limit participation in Medicaid and further exacerbate existing shortages of mental health professionals; and Whereas, According to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, just 36 percent of psychiatrists accepted new Medicaid patients as of 2019; and Whereas, New York State's Medicaid reimbursement rates are set by the Division of Finance and Rate Setting within the Office of Health Insurance Programs under the guidance of the federal Center for Medicaid Services; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State and Federal governments to expand the availability of mental health professionals for low and moderate income New Yorkers by increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for behavioral health services. NM LS # 11693 3/23/2023 2