October 09,2000

Mental Health Hearing Wednesday

Immediately Following 10 AM Nomination Hearing

WASHINGTON -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman William V. Roth, Jr. (R-DE), today announced the Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 11, 2000, immediately following the nomination hearing, in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony regarding community-based care of the mentally ill.

The following witnesses are expected to appear before the Committee:

• William Scanlon, Managing Director of Health Care, General Accounting Office

• Janet Heinrich, Director, Health Care, General Accounting Office, Washington, DC

Background

GAO will testify regarding the financing and availability of community-based mental health services for people with serious mental illness. They will discuss (1) how services for people with mental illness are funded and how funding has changed since the 1980s, (2) the types of community-based services provided to adults with serious mental illness, and (3) how the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) supports the provision of community-based services for adults with serious mental illness through its Medicaid program.