Mental Health Counselors included in New House Rural Health Care Legislation
The American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s (AMHCA) effort to gain Medicare reimbursement for state-licensed mental health counselors took another step further on September 7, 2006, with the introduction of H.R. 6030, the Health Care Access and Rural Equity (H-CARE) Act of 2006.
The bill was introduced by a bi-partisan group of House Rural Health Caucus members, led by co-chairs Reps. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Greg Walden (R-OR). The legislation was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill, which has more than 70 cosponsors, brings to six the total number of proposals under which mental health counselors could bill Medicare. The bill is similar to legislation introduced in June by Sens. Craig Thomas (R-WY) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) as S. 3500, called the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity (R-HOPE) Act of 2006.
Bi-partisan legislation is also pending in the Senate (S. 784), introduced by Sen. Thomas and his Finance Committee colleague, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), to reimburse mental health counselors under Medicare. In addition, in May 2006, Rep. Barbara Cubin introduced a House companion bill (H.R. 5324) to S. 784. The Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act (H.R. 1946)/(S. 927) that would, among other things, allow mental health counselors to provide mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries is also pending.
In addition to allowing LMHCs to bill Medicare, H.R. 6030 would adjust Medicare payments to rural hospitals and make a series of changes to boost funding for rural clinics, doctors and ambulances. Many of the provisions extend or alter rural health care provisions that were included in the Medicare Modernization Act passed three years ago.
Although the legislation’s primary focus is on rural health care, H.R. 6030 would allow mental health counselors to be reimbursed in all areas of the country.
ACTION NEEDED
Call or write your Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support H.R. 6030, the Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act, sponsored by Reps. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Greg Walden (R-OR) and the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act (H.R. 5324), sponsored by Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY).
TARGETS
All members of the U.S. House of Representatives, especially members of the Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. To find out if your Representative is a member of the Ways and Means Committee or the Energy and Commerce Committee, visit the committee’s websites at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/ or http://energycommerce.house.gov/. You can send an email to your Representative by visiting ACA’s Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/counseling/home/. While at the site, you can also look up the name of your Representative enter your zip code in the box next to “Elected Officials” if you do not already know it. In order to call your U.S. Representative, you can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
SAMPLE MESSAGE
“As a constituent, I am calling to ask the Representative to cosponsor and support two bills that would allow state-licensed mental health counselors to provide mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries. H.R. 6030, the Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act, and H.R. 5324, the Seniors Mental Health Care Access Improvement Act would provide better access to mental health care for our nation’s growing number of senior citizens. Access to providers is especially difficult in rural and underserved areas, and mental health counselors are often the only mental health provider available”.
ACA and AMHCA will continue to meet with members of the House to increase support for this legislation. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact Brian Altman at ACA at 800-347-6647, ext. 242, or by e-mail at baltman@counseling.org. Beth Powell at AMHCA can be reached at 800-326-2642, ext. 105 or by e-mail at bpowell@amhca.org.