Bill Targeting Mental Health Reform Passes House

A mental health reform bill passed earlier this month by the U.S. House would provide more hospital beds for people dealing with a mental illness who need short-term hospitalization. NBC News calls it one of the most significant mental health reform measures since 1963.

There is a shortage of about 100,000 psychiatric beds in the United States, the article notes.

The bill would allow reinterpretation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) provisions to allow parents access to their seriously mentally ill child’s medical information and treatment plan if their child is 18 or older.