Trump Administration Pivots Behavioral Health Policy Away from Integration Toward Cost Control

The administration is shifting away from behavioral health integration and parity enforcement through changes at CMMI, potential weakening of mental health parity requirements, and proposed cuts to SAMHSA and CDC. These policy changes could significantly affect how Medicaid managed care plans structure behavioral health benefits, enforce parity, and participate in value-based models. The proposed FY 2026 budget cuts to SAMHSA ($1.1B reduction) and consideration of dissolving the agency altogether would directly impact state Medicaid behavioral health infrastructure and MCO programming.

Behavioral Health · Managed Care

This is outside commentary from Avalere, not part of Medicaid Monitor's independently scored news coverage.

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