Fitzpatrick and Tonko Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Medicare Mental Health Coverage
This bill is currently sitting in the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees. It has not seen any action since June 2025, which means it has been stalled for over a year. The bill will not move forward unless these committees decide to hold a vote on it.
This bill has support from both parties and addresses a common problem, but most bills introduced in the House face a long path through committees before they can become law.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Medicare would cover a broader set of clinical social worker services, including health and behavior assessments, and would pay for these services separately in skilled nursing facilities. This benefits seniors who need mental health support in nursing homes by increasing the availability of providers willing to offer these services, since social workers would be able to bill Medicare directly rather than relying on the facility's bundled payment.
“including services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses or services for health and behavior assessment and intervention (identified as of January 1, 2023, by HCPCS codes 96156, 96158-96161, 96164-96168, and 96170-96171 (and any succeeding codes)), but not including services furnished to an inpatient of a hospital,”
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Chris Coons introduced legislation to improve Medicare beneficiaries' access to licensed clinical social workers. The bill allows these professionals to participate in Medicare when delivering services in skilled nursing facilities, expanding the provider network.
A trio of bills recently passed by the state House aims to reshape how mental health cases are treated, loosening referral rules and widening who can authorize care. The legislation shifts more authority to community agencies to address the shortage of mental health beds and staff.
Senate Bill 1016 would allow for mental health assessments to determine if individuals are 'gravely disabled.' The bill aims to create a formal bridge between voluntary treatment and involuntary conservatorship, reflecting broader efforts to expand mental health access and screening.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act
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