Washington,
D.C.–U.S.
Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance
Committee, delivered the following remarks at a hearing entitled, “Protecting
Youth Mental Health: Part I – An Advisory and Call to Action.”
The
text of Ranking Member Crapo’s remarks, as prepared, is below.
“Thank
you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Dr. Murthy, for being here today.
“This
discussion comes at a crucial time. Our nation is confronting an
unprecedented range of challenges, many of which have serious implications for
the mental health of all Americans–especially children.
“From
school closures to lockdowns and other COVID-related restrictions, the pandemic
has intensified feelings of social isolation, helplessness and anxiety.
Since the pandemic began, we have witnessed alarming spikes in suicide attempts
and suicidal ideation among teenagers, along with a staggering rise in drug
overdose deaths.
“Dr.
Murthy, as you noted in your Advisory, rates of psychological distress among
young people appear to have increased across the board in the past few
years. Unfortunately, even prior to COVID-19, many of these trends
pointed in the wrong direction.
“That
said, I share your sense of optimism in tackling the urgent issues at
hand. In communities across the country, we have seen families, faith
leaders, policymakers and health care providers come together to craft creative
and sustainable mental health prevention, access and treatment solutions.
“Thanks
to the Chairman’s leadership, we have the opportunity to bolster these efforts
through a bipartisan process to advance targeted, consensus-driven and fiscally
responsible policies that drive better outcomes for all Americans. By
focusing on shared priorities and adhering to core guiding principles, this
process can culminate in comprehensive legislation that our colleagues across
the political spectrum will enthusiastically support.
“Building
consensus will maximize our ability to see the work we conduct here signed into
law. We must also uphold fiscal integrity, fully paying for any and all
provisions we look to enact.
“As
working families across the nation contend with the highest inflation in forty
years, strained finances pose a grave threat to health care access.
Unrestrained government spending risks pushing inflation even higher–further
accelerating the decline of Americans’ purchasing power.
“Moreover,
with each passing year, we are steadily moving closer to the Medicare Trust
Fund’s exhaustion date, at which time the program will no longer be able to pay
full benefits for our nation’s seniors. We must be thoughtful and
cautious to avoid exacerbating the fiscal challenges we face.
“Likewise,
we must ensure any pay-fors that we advance do not in any way compromise
economic growth, undermine biomedical innovation or undercut our
recovery. Across-the-board bipartisan support will prove essential.
By aligning our process with these basic principles and guardrails, we can
produce a meaningful bill, carefully tailored to meet the challenges that
confront us.
“This
Committee has a strong track record of generating consensus-based bills, from
the Chronic Care Act to the Retirement Enhancement and Security Act, which
ultimately passed as the SECURE Act in 2019. I truly believe we can
replicate that success here.
“As the
Committee begins its work, we do so having built a strong foundation of shared
interests and objectives. For instance, the pandemic has highlighted the
pressing need for expanded access to telehealth, especially for Medicare
beneficiaries.
“Our
Committee took an essential first step toward addressing these barriers by
codifying permanent Medicare coverage for mental health services, regardless of
geographic location, including services provided in the home. However,
gaps remain, and we will work to bridge them here.
“Strengthening
the mental and behavioral health workforce will also prove vital, especially in
the face of widespread provider stress, fatigue and burnout, which the pandemic
has escalated. I hear every day from doctors, nurses and other health
care professionals across Idaho who are looking to reduce hours or leave their
practices entirely in the months to come, confronted with an unprecedented
range of demands.
“Too
often, sadly, policymakers have inadvertently added to these challenges,
imposing bureaucratic requirements and tasks that divert attention from patient
care and hinder providers’ workplace wellness. As we navigate potential
policy options, we should look to avenues for enhancing flexibilities, both for
providers and for states, as they seek to improve and innovate across the
continuum of care.
“These
and other focal points, from encouraging service integration to promoting
modernization, present opportunities for bipartisan discussions that will
enable our health care system to serve all Americans more effectively.
“In that
spirit, I look forward to your testimony, Dr. Murthy, and to a timely
discussion of mental and behavioral health solutions.
“Thank
you.”