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Contact Finance Committee Members to Request Inclusion of S. 310, the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act in the Senate Medicare Package
As you may know from reports in the media, Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Max Baucus (D-MT) have reached tentative agreement on Medicare legislation, including the addition of a prescription benefit to the program. The Committee, expected to consider the bill this Thursday, June 12th, is making decisions now on which other provisions to include in the final package. Provisions to add licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists are still on the table. Senators serving on the Finance Committee need to hear from their constituents on this issue over the next two days while decisions are still being made.
For those of you who reside in states of Senate Finance Committee members (see list below), please call your Senator's Washington, D.C. office and ask to speak with the staff person who handles Medicare issues. Please do not just leave a message with the script, but give a contact number and try following up until you speak directly with the staff member. Following is a sample script:
SCRIPT:
"My name is ____________and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (or Licensed Professional Counselor) in [TOWN & STATE]. I urge you to contact Senators Grassley and Baucus to request that the Thomas-Lincoln bill, S. 310, be included as part of the Finance Committee's Medicare reform package. Inclusion of Mental Health Counselors in the Medicare program will benefit the elderly by increasing their choice of providers and expanding access to mental health services in rural and underserved areas.
Senate Finance Committee
Republicans
Charles Grassley, Chair, IA 202-224-4515
Orrin Hatch, UT 202-224-5251
Don Nickles, OK 202-224-5754
Trent Lott, MS 202-224-6253
Olympia Snowe, ME 202-224-5344
Jon Kyl, AZ 202-224-4521
Craig Thomas, WY** 202-224-6441
Rick Santorum, PA 202-224-6324
Bill Frist, TN 202-224-3344
Gordon Smith, OR 202-224-3753
Jim Bunning, KY* 202-224-4343
Democrats
Max Baucus, Ranking member 202-224-4515
Jay Rockefeller, WV 202-224-6472
Tom Daschle, SD* 202-224-2321
John Breaux, LA 202-224-4623
Kent Conrad, ND 202-224-2043
Bob Graham, FL 202-224-3041
Jeff Bingaman, NM* 202-224-5521
John Kerry, MA 202-224-2742
Blanche Lincoln, AR* 202-224-4843
Independent
Jim Jeffords, VT*
Cosponsors of S. 310 are noted with an asterisk.
If you have any questions, please contact Beth Powell, AMHCA's Director of Public Policy and Professional Issues, at 800-326-2642, ext. 105 or by e-mail at
bpowell@amhca.org
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