Writing in this newsletter last March, we urged digital mental health leaders not to be paralyzed by change. We argued that a new presidential administration presents an opportunity – and a responsibility – to advise on transformative solutions for behavioral health. Today, that advice is more pertinent than ever.

Potentially massive shifts are underway in how technology is leveraged in health care, with behavioral health being a key component. Policies that would impact interoperability, behavioral health information technology (BHIT), and the role of AI are all under consideration. Savvy digital mental health leaders will recognize that this period presents an unprecedented opportunity to realize the vision for ethical and effective digital mental health solutions by offering market-driven subject matter expertise to help shape policy, regulation, and federal financing to incentivize the creation of those solutions.

As these decisions are being made, leaders in Washington need to hear from digital mental health leaders like you. The Trump Administration is actively seeking input from private sector innovators to improve accountability and outcomes and is taking steps to improve care coordination and advance behavioral health interoperability. Encouragingly, the administration is also embracing digital health and AI as solutions to prioritize access across health systems.

We should all be encouraged and motivated by the fact that now, more than ever before, we have data-driven, tech-enabled solutions to share. One such solution is measurement-informed care. Our field has long recognized that measurement-informed care is critical to improving patient outcomes; however, adoption has been frustratingly slow, largely owing to implementation hurdles. Technology can alleviate many of those challenges by making it easier for clinicians to adopt and realize the promise of measuring improvements in care.

Other opportunities abound. The Administration’s recently released initiatives emphasizing the importance of supporting primary care with tech-enabled tools and increased interoperability present a potentially unprecedented opportunity for digital mental health.

Similarly, the proposed 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), an annually proposed rule that outlines changes to how physicians and other clinicians are paid for Medicare services, provides tremendous opportunity to engage with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on how and when digital health tools – including digital mental health treatment devices, remote therapeutic monitoring, and software as a service – should be reimbursed.

In May, as part of the Make America Health Again agenda, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced that digital health tools would be a key component of its strategic plan to empower people to reach their health goals.

That same month, the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS issued a request for information on the health tech ecosystem that led to the launch of the Health Technology Ecosystem initiative. Just days before the Health Technology Ecosystem was announced, the Administration also released the American AI Action Plan, which largely left out healthcare.  

While the current climate is ripe with opportunity, if history has taught us anything, we know that behavioral health can be left out of healthcare redesign and technology infrastructure improvements (e.g., HITECH). As the federal landscape evolves rapidly, companies will need to be strategic in how to align products and services with the administration’s priorities, unlock funding, and position themselves to anticipate risks and seize opportunities that will impact their bottom lines.

To help you move from policy to action, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute recently launched HeadsUp, a federal policy advisory created specifically for investors and entrepreneurs advancing innovations in the mental health, brain health, and neurotech sectors. Delivered by the Meadows Institute, the nation’s leading nonpartisan expert in mental health policy, HeadsUp provides you with direct, real-time access to expert perspectives and analysis, making sure you are equipped and positioned for effective action when it’s needed most.

The behavioral health tech industry must engage and learn from challenges associated with being left out of past health tech infrastructure advancements. Now is the time to act strategically in policy activities – the future of mental health depends on it. Visit https://mmhpi.org/headsup or email us at HeadsUp@mmhpi.org to learn more.

Kacie Kelly is the chief innovation officer at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

John Snook is the chief policy officer at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

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