Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act
Fitzpatrick and Tonko Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Medicare Mental Health Coverage
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by two House committees. It is actively moving forward as it waits for these committees to study the proposal. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
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.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Programs
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,”
Disabilities
Milestones
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.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
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California Senate Bills Tackle Mental Health Crisis and CARE Court Effectiveness
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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