Summary
A new bipartisan bill in Congress aims to fix a rule that makes it hard for over 300,000 children in the foster care system to get mental health care through Medicaid. The bill seeks to change the current law so that children in specific large mental health facilities can still get Medicaid support. The legal change would help ensure that these children receive consistent mental health treatment without losing coverage.
Key Facts
- Over 300,000 children are in the U.S. foster care system.
- Many foster children need mental health care because of past trauma.
- The current Medicaid policy can deny coverage if a treatment facility has more than 16 residents.
- The bill, called the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2026, aims to fix this issue.
- The bill was introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (Republican) and Rep. Julia Brownley (Democrat).
- Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) are affected by the current policy.
- QRTPs need to follow federal child welfare standards to qualify for Medicaid under the new bill.
- The Family First Prevention Services Act, passed in 2018, originally set up QRTPs.
