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ACTION ALERT
Legislation Will Reimburse Mental Health Counselors Under Medicare
As expected, on March 18, 2003, Senator Jon Corzine (R-NJ) and Representative Pete Stark (D-CA) introduced the Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2003 (S. 646/H.R. 1340). The legislation, which was originally introduced in past Congresses by the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Rep. Stark, would among other things, reimburse licensed mental health counselors directly for providing mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare currently covers the services of independently practicing psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and clinical nurse specialists, but does not recognize mental health counselors as separately reimbursable mental health providers. Mental health counseling has been designated by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a core mental health profession along with psychiatry, psychology, clinical social work, clinical nurse specialists, and marriage and family therapists.
The legislation is strongly supported by 45 mental health organizations representing consumers, family members, and providers. These include the National Mental Health Association, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, the National Council for Behavioral Healthcare and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Action Needed
AMHCA has prepared a sample letter for you and others interested in this issue to send to your Senators and Representative asking them to cosponsor S. 646/H.R. 1340. The text of the letter is below.
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).
Sample Letter in Support of S. 646 and H.R. 1340, the Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act
Date
The Honorable (Full name of Senator/Representative)
United States Senate (or House of Representatives)
Washington, D.C. 20510 (Senate) or 20515 (House)
Dear Senator/Representative (Last name):
I am writing to express my strong support for S. 646/H.R. 1340, the Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act, introduced by Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ)/Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), and to request your co-sponsorship of this legislation.
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.
Advances in the treatment of mental illness, whether from scientific evidence or the development of more effective medications, have dramatically changed our understanding of these disorders. Yet, Medicare's mental health benefit has remained virtually unchanged since it was enacted by Congress in 1965. Improvements in the Medicare mental health benefit are long overdue.
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 as separately reimbursable providers. Specifically, the legislation corrects this oversight 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.
I also support the program improvements included in S. 646/H.R. 1340 and in particular, the provision to reduce the co-payment for outpatient mental health services, from 50 percent to 20 percent. The bill also creates Medicare coverage for intensive residential services - like crisis residential programs - and intensive outpatient services - like psychiatric rehabilitation. I believe these provisions, as well as others included in the legislation, will strengthen and restructure Medicare's mental health benefit for beneficiaries in need of mental health services.
S. 646/H.R. 1340 is strongly supported by a range of mental health organizations representing consumers, family members, and providers. These include the National Mental Health Association, American Psychological Association, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, National Association of Social Workers, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and many others. To co-sponsor S. 646/H.R. 1340, please contact Sharon Caron, Legislative Assistant to Sen. Corzine, at 202-224-4744/Neil Kirschner, Ph.D., Legislative Fellow in the Office of Rep. Stark.
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 703-548-6002, ext. 105. I look forward to your favorable reply.
Sincerely,
Your name (and credentials)
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