As you may already know, the bipartisan Improving Access to Mental Health Act S. 838/H.R. 1638) was introduced in the 118^th Congress by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Barrasso (R-WY) and Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01).

The legislation would:

• remove patient access barriers that Medicare beneficiaries face if they are residents of a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) by reimbursing Clinical Social Workers (CSWs) as independent Medicare Part B mental health providers.
• allow CSWs to provide and receive Medicare reimbursement for critical Health and Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) services that help Medicare beneficiaries cope with the emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial concerns associated with various medical conditions.
• increase the reimbursement rate for CSWs from 75% to 85% of the physician fee schedule.

We are seeking assistance in reaching out to:

Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA-06): Darby McQueen-Dever, Legislative Assistant, darby.mcqueen-dever@mail.house.gov

We kindly ask that this is completed within the next couple of weeks by mid-May.

Improving Access to Mental Health Act Action Alert.