Mental and Physical Health Care Comorbidities Act of 2025

This bill creates a five-year test program to help hospitals improve care for people who have both serious mental illness and physical health problems. It lets hospitals in high‑need areas try proven ways to coordinate care and tackle social factors that hurt health. The goals include better access and outcomes and lower costs, including for low‑income or uninsured people.

Hospitals that serve many Medicare or Medicaid patients can join by sending in a plan with clear quality measures and by working with community partners like nonprofits, health centers, and local government. They will take part in a national learning group to share what works. The program can pay hospitals in new ways, such as a yearly lump sum or a monthly set amount, and it may lead to updates in how Medicare and Medicaid pay if the ideas work.

• Who is affected:
  • People with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance plus at least one other health condition
  • Hospitals in “vulnerable communities” with many such patients, poor health indicators, low incomes, or food deserts
• What changes:
  • A national test of care models that address both mental and physical health and share best practices
  • Possible changes to Medicare and Medicaid payment rules if the models work
  • Focus on improving access and quality, cutting ER visits and hospital stays, lowering costs, and even reducing justice system involvement
• When:
  • Runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030