Counselor Medicare Reimbursement Provision Included in "Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003"

AMHCA LEGISLATIVE ALERT
Counselor Medicare Reimbursement Provision Included in "Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003"

Contact Your Senators to Request Cosponsorship

Over the past several weeks, AMHCA has come to you on several occasions to request your assistance in working to ensure provisions to reimburse mental health counselors by Medicare are included in Medicare legislation being drafted by the Senate Finance Committee. We are now in crunch time! Please read this message and forward it to others who are interested in this issue. Then, call your Senators to request their support for legislation to allow mental health counselors to be reimbursed by Medicare. It will only take a few minutes of your time and can mean the difference between mental health counselors being reimbursed by Medicare.

Background:
In a positive step forward for the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) and its legislative goal of enacting legislation to reimburse mental health counselors under Medicare, on June 4, 2003, Sens. Craig Thomas (R-WY) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced S. 1185, the Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003. Introduction of S. 1185 provides an additional avenue for the passage of counselor reimbursement legislation.

The bill, introduced on behalf of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, includes the provision to permit mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to bill Medicare for services provided to seniors. The Rural Health Caucus, comprised of senators with a special interest in rural health, advocates and sponsors legislation to improve the quality of health care for rural Americans. The Medicare reimbursement provisions in S. 1185 are the exact language as that in S. 310, the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act, sponsored by Sens. Thomas and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).

AMHCA, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) have been working to ensure that these provisions are included in any Medicare reform legislation being drafted.

In remarks marking the introduction of S. 1185, Sen. Thomas said, "Rural seniors are often forced to travel long distances to utilize the services of mental health providers currently recognized by the Medicare program. Rural communities have difficulty recruiting and retaining providers, especially mental health providers. In many small towns, a mental health counselor or a marriage and family therapist is the only mental health care provider in the area. Medicare law - as it exists today - compounds the situation because only psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers and clinical nurse specialists are able to bill Medicare for their services."

In additional comments, Thomas said, "Virtually all of Wyoming is designated a mental health professional shortage area and will greatly benefit from this legislation. Wyoming has 174 psychologists, 37 psychiatrists and 263 clinical social workers for a total of 474 Medicare eligible mental health providers. Enactment of this provision will more than double the number of mental health providers available to seniors in my state with the addition of 528 mental health counselors and 71 marriage and family therapists currently licensed in the state."

Original cosponsors of S. 1185 include Sens. Domenici (R-NM); Jeff Bingaman (D-NM); Pat Roberts (R-KS); Mark Dayton (D-MN); Gordon Smith (R-OR); Maria Cantwell (D-WA); Daniel Inouye (D-HI); Conrad Burns (R-MT); Tim Johnson (D-SD); Mike Enzi (R-WY); Blanche Lincoln (D-AR); Susan Collins (R-ME); Tom Daschle (D-SD); Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Kent Conrad (D-ND).

What You Can Do

As noted above, the Senate Finance Committee is currently drafting Medicare reform legislation, including the addition of a prescription benefit to the program. AMHCA is working to get the counselor Medicare provision included in any package being drafted. One way to ensure that our issues are being heard is to exert pressure on Senators to support our legislation.

At this point in the process, phone calls are the most effective means to communicate with your Senator. The phone number for the Capitol Switchboard is 202-224-3121. Ask for your Senators by first and last name. When the receptionist answers, ask for the staff person that covers Medicare issues.

Following is a sample script for you to use when making these calls.

Script:
"As a constituent and a mental health counselor in your state, I urge you to cosponsor and support S. 1187, the Rural Provider Equity Act. Among other things, this bipartisan legislation includes provisions to permit mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to bill Medicare for services provided to seniors. I would also appreciate your support and cosponsorship of S. 310, the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act, which also includes these provisions.

Please help our seniors to get needed mental health care by cosponsoring and supporting S. 1187, the Rural Provider Equity Act and S. 310, the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act, and by requesting its inclusions in any Medicare reform package being drafted by the Senate Finance Committee. Thank you.

We cannot stress enough the importance of the timing of your communications. It is critically important that your Senators hear from you as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or need additional information, 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.

The information provided on this website should not be construed as advice or instruction on specific mental health or medical conditions or for specific mental health referrals. It is intended as an informational tool only. You should consult a healthcare professional regarding health issues and advice on treatment. To view our complete disclaimer CLICK HERE.

AMHCA LEGISLATIVE ALERT Counselor Medicare Reimbursement Provision Included in "Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003"

AMHCA LEGISLATIVE ALERT
Counselor Medicare Reimbursement Provision Included in "Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003"