Malliotakis, Goldman Introduce Michelle Alyssa Go Act

(WASHINGTON, DC) - Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) today announced the introduction of the Michelle Alyssa Go Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand access to psychiatric resources by allowing Medicaid to pay for care in institutions that have 36 beds or less, so long as they meet nationally-recognized, evidence-based standards of care. 

The bill is named after Michelle Go, a 40-year-old woman who was tragically pushed in front of an oncoming R train in Times Square by a schizophrenic homeless man with a long history of psychiatric issues that were never appropriately addressed. Under a “Transformation Plan” launched in 2014 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state psychiatric centers in New York City lost about 15 percent of their total adult bed capacity, and, according to New York's Office of Mental Health, the state lost 1,849 psychiatric beds between between 2014 and 2022. 

"What happened to Michelle Go was a preventable tragedy that could've been avoided had her attacker not fallen through the cracks of our criminal justice system and received access to the psychiatric care he desperately needed," Congresswoman Malliotakis said. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to expand the number of psychiatric beds Medicaid will cover, giving more opportunities for New Yorkers with severe mental illness to receive treatment, reducing the costly revolving door of reincarceration and emergency room admittances, and potentially preventing the next tragedy." 

"If our country had a more comprehensive and equitable mental health care system, Michelle Go might still be alive today," Congressman Goldman said. "In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health crisis in America is more dire than ever. More and more, those in desperate need of acute mental health care are unable to receive it, leading to tragic consequences. We have the opportunity to make sure that the tragedy of Michelle Go’s death never happens again by helping those on Medicaid to get the treatment they need. I’ve introduced this legislation to honor Michelle’s memory, close this equity gap in mental health care, lift up our communities, make our streets safer, and ensure that those seeking help can get the care they want."

"We need to do everything we can to ensure Medicaid patients with the most complex mental and behavioral conditions get the care they need and that we allow enough flexibility in statute to enable placement settings that best meet their individual needs. Our bill moves us forward in achieving that goal," Congressman Bilirakis said. 

"We have the opportunity to help millions of Americans living with mental health and substance use disorders," Congressman Cárdenas said. "The Michelle Alyssa Go Act is an important step in addressing the rising mental health and substance use crisis, providing health centers with critical resources needed to provide life-saving crisis care."

The Michelle Alyssa Go Act is part of a trio of mental-health related bill Malliotakis has pushed during Mental Health Awareness Month. Language she introduced in partnership with Reps. Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Susie Lee (D-NV) to remove in-person requirements for behavioral telehealth services passed out of the Ways and Means Committee, and she's also introduced bipartisan legislation to increase Medicare patients' access to behavioral health services.

Specifically, Malliotakis' Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2024 would make it easier for Medicare patients to receive treatment from a psychologist in settings that currently require prior authorization from a physician, extend Medicare psychologists' current authority to practice independently, and make psychologists eligible for the same Medicare bonus payments received by physicians for services provided in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals. 

"This bill would remove outdated, unnecessary barriers to prompt behavioral health treatment for Medicare patients," said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association. "Current law requires that when Medicare patients enter a skilled nursing facility, outpatient rehabilitation program or similar setting, they must get authorization from a physician before seeing a psychologist, a requirement that does not exist in other Federal programs. It makes no sense to ask one practitioner to take time away from their clinical responsibilities to authorize care for another independent practitioner. The Increasing Mental Health Options Act would not change what services psychologists provide under Medicare, it would just make it easier for patients to receive the care they need. APA urges Congress to enact the legislation this year to continue expanding access to critical mental health services."  

Malliotakis added: "The utilization of telehealth services has only increased since the pandemic, and now, in a post-pandemic world where more than 20% of Americans, including more than three million New Yorkers, are battling mental health issues, we should be doing everything we can to continue expanding access to this critical care. I’m proud to support efforts to make mental health services more widely accessible so patients can receive care more efficiently, regardless of their physical location."