116th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of furnishing clinical psychologist services under the Medicare program.
November 5, 2019
Mr. Brown (for himself, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of furnishing clinical psychologist 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 “Medicare Mental Health Access Act”.
SEC. 2. Treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of furnishing clinical psychologist services.
(a) In general.—The first sentence of section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended—
(1) by striking “or” before “(5)”; and
(2) by inserting before the period the following: “, or (6) a clinical psychologist, but only with respect to the furnishing of qualified psychologist services described in subsection (ii) for which the psychologist is legally authorized to perform by the State and who is acting within the scope of the psychologist’s license (or other authorization under State law)”.
(b) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2020.