How Will we get from FDA approval of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) to widespread, publicly funded access across the country? Approval will be a major milestone, but it won't mean access for the people who access their mental health care through Medicaid. Medicaid is the nation’s largest payer of behavioral health services and the key pathway to broad PAT access for the low income populations who are disproportionately impacted by serious mental health conditions, trauma, and gaps in effective care. Getting there will require evidence, care models, payment approaches, workforce readiness, and implementation pathways designed for the public healthcare systems millions of Americans rely on.
The mission of the Psychedelic Mental Health Access Alliance (PMHA Alliance) is to help build that bridge between PAT and public mental health. A critical part of that work is developing and supporting evidence that Medicaid decision-makers can actually use, including research with the populations Medicaid serves, who are too often underrepresented in clinical trials. Just as important is connecting that evidence to the institutions that can translate it into policy and practice. One of the most important is the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS).
PMHA Alliance sought out CHCS because of its deep experience and trusted relationships within Medicaid. For nearly three decades, CHCS has worked with Medicaid agencies, health plans, providers, and communities to turn evidence into practical policy and implementation. It is not a psychedelic advocacy organization, and that is precisely why this collaboration matters. Its engagement signals that the PAT conversation is moving beyond the psychedelic field and into the public healthcare institutions that willcould ultimately shape coverage, implementation, and adoption.
CHCS’s new report, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Medicaid: Considerations for Coverage and Access, examines the evidence and infrastructure Medicaid will need to responsibly consider PAT, drawing on interviews with Medicaid and behavioral health officials, healthcare providers, and other experts. For us, this is bigger than another report. It is a bridge PMHA Alliance set out to build from the beginning, and a resource for the broader psychedelic and mental health fields as we collectively prepare to move from FDA approval toward publicly funded access. Our intention is to continue working with CHCS as the evidence grows, helping translate what the field is learning into policy, implementation, and adoption within public healthcare.
A note of gratitude
We are deeply grateful to the 27 leaders and experts who shared their time, experience, and perspective through interviews that helped ground this report in the realities of public healthcare.
Read the new CHCS report:
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Medicaid: Considerations for Coverage and Access
Catch up on our earlier work
Earlier this year, CHCS and PMHA Alliance explored the emerging landscape for PAT in Medicaid, identifying evidence gaps and opportunities for integrating PAT into Medicaid delivery systems.
On the Horizon: Expanding Access to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Through Medicaid