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E-News from Washington April 24 , 2002 Vol. 02-09
AMHCA/ACA Push on Medicare Aided By Two New Studies

AMHCA/ACA Push on Medicare Aided By Two New Studies

The joint AMHCA/ACA effort to gain Medicare coverage of state-licensed professional counselors has been bolstered by two recent reports.

The first is an actuarial study by the Lewin Group, commissioned by AMHCA and ACA, which shows the likely cost to the federal government of extending Medicare coverage to mental health services provided by licensed professional counselors would be only $16.3 million over five years. While this figure may sound large, within the context of the Medicare program -- which is projected to spend $230 billion in fiscal year 2003 -- it is
nearly a rounding error.

Secondly, the Maine Rural Health Research Center (housed at the University of Southern Maine's Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Health Service) recently conducted a study entitled "Effects of Licensure Laws and Rules on Access to Mental Health Services in Rural Areas." he preliminary executive summary of the report recommends that since no evidence was found in state licensure laws to support payers who choose not to reimburse marriage and family therapists or licensed professional counselors for mental health services, Medicare should reconsider its position on these professions.

The study also recommends that states that have not already done so should consider  enacting vendorship laws to bring reimbursement policies into congruence with licensure laws by affirming the right of these professions to practice independently and be reimbursed by third party payers.

These two new studies lend added weight to AMHCA and ACA's arguments that Medicare should cover counselors.  The two House committees with jurisdiction over Medicare are attempting to fashion a Medicare bill for consideration before Memorial Day. Consequently, it is imperative that mental health counselors across the country contact their members of Congress to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3899, the bipartisan Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act introduced by Reps. Brad Carson (D-OK) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), and H.R. 1522, the Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act introduced by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA).

In addition, counselors are encouraged to contact their Senators to urge them to cosponsor S. 1760 (introduced by Senators Craig Thomas (R-WY) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)), and S. 690 (introduced by Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN)).  The more cosponsors these bills have, the better our chances of getting counselor coverage considered as part of Medicare legislation moving through Congress.  Counselors can learn more about this issue and contact their members of Congress by hitting the Internet at http://capwiz.com/counseling, or http://www.amhca.org.