Which strategies can CMS providers use to address barriers to mental health care access?

• A. Flexible scheduling, telehealth options, sliding scales, outreach programs, and integrated care models.
• B. One-size-fits-all scheduling, in-person only, no pricing flexibility.
• C. Limit outreach to urban clinics.
• D. Remove telehealth options to save costs.

Answer: (A)

Expanding access to mental health care means addressing the different barriers people face—time, distance, cost, awareness, and care coordination. Flexible scheduling meets work and caregiving needs by offering after-hours or weekend appointments. Telehealth eliminates travel and transportation hurdles and helps reach rural or otherwise underserved populations. Sliding scales reduce financial barriers so people aren’t kept out by price. Outreach programs raise awareness, reduce stigma, and connect individuals with services they wouldn’t otherwise consider. Integrated or coordinated care models bring mental health services together with primary care and other supports, improving continuity, engagement, and outcomes.

The other approaches miss several of these access levers: rigid, in-person-only scheduling doesn’t accommodate varied schedules or locations; no pricing flexibility maintains financial barriers; restricting outreach to urban clinics ignores rural and underserved communities; removing telehealth removes a crucial tool for reducing distance and transportation barriers.