Bipartisan Medicare Reimbursement Legislation Reintroduced in U.S. Senate

E-News from Washington February 11, 2003 Vol.03-06
Bipartisan Medicare Reimbursement Legislation Reintroduced in U.S. Senate

Contact Your Senators Now to Request Co-sponsorship of S. 310

On February 5, 2003, Sens. Craig Thomas (R-WY) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), reintroduced the Seniors Mental Health Improvement Act, legislation to allow mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to bill Medicare directly for providing services to beneficiaries. Original cosponsors of the legislation include Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), James Inhofe (R-OK), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

S. 310 will expand access to mental health care for the nation's elderly and disabled by recognizing mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists under Medicare Part B. Specifically, the legislation will allow mental health counselors to provide outpatient psychotherapy services to beneficiaries, as well as services in rural health clinics, hospice programs, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Under the bill, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists will be reimbursed at the same rate as clinical social workers. Sens. Thomas and Lincoln, both from rural states with particular concerns about access to mental health care, are members of the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare in the Senate. Since S. 310 is a bipartisan bill, AMHCA is confident that we will be able to attract significant support from both Republicans and Democrats. A House companion bill is expected to be introduced in the near future by the bill's sponsor in the 107th Congress, Rep. Brad Carson (D-OK).

What You Can Do

AMHCA has prepared a sample letter for you and others interested in this issue to send to your two Senators asking them to cosponsor S. 310. The sample letter is attached in Word format. For those of you who are unable to open the document, the text of the letter has been inserted into this message.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Beth Powell, director of public policy and professional issues at 800-326-2642, ext. 105, or by e-mail at bpowell@amhca.org. Please forward this e-mail to other mental health counselors who may share these interests.

Updates on the legislation's progress will be provided in the Advocate, E-News from Washington, and on AMHCA's website (www.amhca.org).

Mental health counselors have a critical role to play in this campaign. Take time to contact your Senators to ask them to cosponsor S. 310 - a little time commitment now from each AMHCA member can have a profound effect on the future of this legislation.

TEXT OF LETTER TO SENATORS IN SUPPORT OF S. 310

Date

The Honorable (Full name of Senator)
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator (Last name):

I am writing to express my strong support for S. 310, the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation to expand access to mental health providers in the Medicare program. As a mental health counselor and a constituent, I want to convey to you the importance of this legislation to mental health counselors in (name of state), and to Medicare's 39 million beneficiaries.

Mental health counselors - also called Licensed Professional Counselors - are mental health professionals with a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or related discipline who provide services along a continuum of care. Currently, 46 states and the District of Columbia license or certify mental health counselors to independently provide mental health services, including the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

As you may know, Medicare currently covers the services of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and clinical nurse specialists, but does not recognize mental health counselors or marriage and family therapists as separately reimbursable providers. Specifically, S. 310 corrects this inequity by including mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists among the list of providers who can deliver mental health services, provided they are legally authorized to perform the services under state law. Enactment of this provision would increase access to and the availability of mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries, particularly for those seniors who reside in rural and underserved areas. The inclusion of mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists in the program would also afford beneficiaries choice among qualified providers.

If you would like to cosponsor the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act, please contact Linda Rouse in Sen. Thomas' office at 202-224-6441 or Elizabeth Macdonald in the office of Sen. Lincoln at 202-224-4843.

Thank you for considering my views on this issue. If you need additional information about mental health counselors, please feel free to contact Beth Powell, Director of Public Policy and Professional Issues at the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), at 703-546-6002, ext. 105. I look forward to your favorable reply.

Sincerely,

Your name (and credentials)

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