Michigan's Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) introduced a bill to open the door for seriously mentally ill people, now receiving Medicaid, to get comprehensive care in 10 participating states. The Mental Illness Chronic Care Improvement Act (S 1136) is a demonstration program with the potential to close a treatment gap by linking to primary care. Diabetes and heart disease are among the chronic conditions afflicting people with a mental illness and shortening life and Stabenow's proposal recognizes the existing system has failed them. The bill requires registering, screening and evaluation in programs that will be administered by states. Those eligible include people with "a chronic mental illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major clinical depression, or such conditions with co-occurring substance abuse disorders."


