Patti's Comments: Here are my letters to my Senator and Representative based on the suggestions from the ACA as outlined below.
Medicare Coverage of Licensed Professional Counselors – Senate Bill Introduced (6. 604)
From American Counseling Association:
Latest Information:
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to establish Medicare reimbursement of licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. As with previous versions of the legislation, the “Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2011,” S. 604, would cover only medically-necessary outpatient mental health services, and would reimburse licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists at the same reimbursement rates, and under the same terms and conditions, as clinical social workers. ACA strongly encourages counselors to contact their Senators to ask them to cosponsor the legislation. If one of your Senators is already listed above as a cosponsor of the legislation, please thank them.
What You Can Do:
Please call or e-mail your Senators and ask them to cosponsor the "Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2011," S. 604. (Only Senators can cosponsor legislation introduced in the Senate.) Let your Senators know that this same legislation was passed by the Senate in both 2003 and 2005, and that private sector health plans have been covering counselors for many years. You can find out who your Senators are by visiting the ACA internet legislative action center at http://capwiz.com/counseling and entering your zip code in the box indicated. Senators and Representatives can be reached through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, and telling the operator which office you would like to be connected with.
Comments