Rep. Chu and Rep. Smith Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Medicare Coverage for Peer Support Services
The PEERS Act of 2025 is currently sitting in House committees and has not moved since December 2025. Nothing has happened with this bill or its companion bill in the Senate for about six months. It is considered stalled because the committees have not taken any action to advance it.
Companion bill: Congress seeks to have Medicare cover peer support services at certain mental health clinics starting in 2027 →No action since December 2025
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 6748 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 6748 (118th) →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
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients who qualify for Medicare due to a disability and have a mental health or substance use diagnosis would gain access to peer support services. This is a relatively small subset of SSDI recipients, but for those affected, it could provide meaningful support in managing their conditions and working toward recovery.
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.
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.
Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28) and Adrian Smith (NE-03) reintroduced the bipartisan PEERS in Medicare Act to expand access to peer support specialists. The bill would require Medicare to cover services provided at rural health clinics, community mental health centers, and other facilities.
This article discusses the integration of peer support into Medicare, noting that while 2024 reforms allowed some billing, the PEERS Act of 2025 seeks to further expand coverage to community-based settings like rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers.
The article highlights the growing evidence for peer-based care and the legislative push to expand Medicare reimbursement through the PEERS Act. It notes that peer support improves treatment retention and reduces relapse rates while lowering long-term healthcare costs.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
PEERS Act of 2025
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