116th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to mental health services under the Medicare program.
March 5, 2019
Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Ms. Hill of California, Ms. Wild, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Evans, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Serrano, and Mr. Soto) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to mental health services under the Medicare program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Improving Access to Mental Health Act”.
SEC. 2. Improved access to mental health services under the Medicare program.
(a) Access to clinical social workers.—Section 1833(a)(1)(F)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)(F)(ii)) is amended by striking “75 percent of the amount determined for payment of a psychologist under clause (L)” and inserting “85 percent of the fee schedule amount provided under section 1848”.
(b) Access to clinical social worker services provided to residents of skilled nursing facilities.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1888(e)(2)(A)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting “clinical social worker services,” after “qualified psychologist services,”.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1861(hh)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2)) is amended by striking “and other than services furnished to an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility which the facility is required to provide as a requirement for participation”.
(c) Access to the complete set of clinical social worker services.—Section 1861(hh)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2)) is amended—
(1) by striking “for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses (other than services” and inserting “, including services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and services for health and behavior assessment and intervention as identified as of January 1, 2019, by HCPCS codes 96150 through 96161 (and any succeeding codes), but not including services”; and
(2) by striking “) which” and inserting “, which”.
(d) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2020.