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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced legislation to give states new flexibility to improve access to care for Americans facing mental health and substance abuse crises. 

The Access to New Community Health Opportunities and Recovery (ANCHOR) Act of 2025 creates a new state plan amendment that will allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to uninsured individuals up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Line who are struggling with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, or opioid and stimulant use disorders. 

Read more about this legislation, first reported in San Angelo LIVE, here.

“Many Americans living with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders often lack the ability to secure the care they desperately need. When treatment is out of reach for these individuals, it creates public safety challenges and strains our emergency rooms, law enforcement personnel, and social services,” said Rep. Pfluger. “I am proud to lead this legislation with Senator Blackburn to ensure that states can provide these patients with the essential, lifesaving mental health care they deserve.” 

“States should be able to provide coverage to those battling mental illness or substance abuse disorder,” said Sen. Blackburn. “By passing the ANCHOR Act, we would give states another tool to lend a helping hand to those on the road to recovery.”

Text of the legislation is available here.

The legislation is also supported by several outside organizations, including the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), Mental Health America (MHA), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and Texas Hospital Association.

Brian Hepburn, MD, Executive Director for the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), said, “The ANCHOR Act provides states with a means to expand Medicaid coverage for uninsured individuals facing significant behavioral health issues, guaranteeing timely and coordinated care to enhance health outcomes.”

Tim Clement, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs at Mental Health America, said, "Mental Health America commends Congressman Pfluger and Senator Blackburn for their leadership in introducing the ANCHOR Act. People with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders who lack insurance coverage are at great risk of suicide and overdose, and this bill will help them receive treatment and begin their journey to recovery."