The COMPLETE Care Act encourages primary care doctors to integrate mental health and behavioral health services into their regular medical practices. Right now, these services are often separate—you might see your regular doctor at one place and a therapist or psychiatrist somewhere else. This bill makes it financially attractive for doctors to combine these services by temporarily increasing what Medicare pays them for behavioral health integration work.

Specifically, the bill boosts Medicare payments for certain behavioral health services during a three-year period starting in 2027. Doctors who provide these integrated services will receive 175% of the normal payment in 2027, 150% in 2028, and 125% in 2029. This financial incentive is designed to help primary care practices adopt proven models like the Collaborative Care Model (where a care team including a therapist works alongside your regular doctor) or the Primary Care Behavioral Health model (where behavioral health specialists are embedded in the primary care office).

To help practices actually make this transition, the bill requires the government to provide technical assistance and training to primary care offices starting by January 2026. The goal is straightforward: make it easier and more rewarding for doctors to treat your physical and mental health together in one place, rather than forcing patients to coordinate care across multiple locations. This could mean better care coordination, fewer missed appointments, and more comprehensive treatment for people dealing with both medical and behavioral health issues.

COMPLETE Care Act

Cortez Masto, Catherine

Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective Care or the COMPLETE Care ActThis bill increases payments and establishes certain requirements&nbsp;to support integrated behavioral health services under Medicare.Specifically, the bill increases payments for integrated behavioral health services that are provided by physicians under Medicare for 2027-2029, with payments increased by 175% in 2027, 150% in 2028, and 125% in 2029.The bill provides funds for FY2025-FY2029 for the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to contract with entities to provide technical assistance to primary care practices that want to adopt models for behavioral health integration.