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II
116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 782
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to mental
health services under the Medicare program.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 13, 2019
Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. BARRASSO) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve
access to mental health services under the Medicare program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to
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Mental Health Act of 2019’’.
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SEC. 2. IMPROVED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
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UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.
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(a) ACCESS TO CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS.—Sec-
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tion 1833(a)(1)(F)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42
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U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)(F)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘75
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•S 782 IS
percent of the amount determined for payment of a psy-
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chologist under clause (L)’’ and inserting ‘‘85 percent of
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the fee schedule amount provided under section 1848’’.
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(b) ACCESS TO CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER SERVICES
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PROVIDED TO RESIDENTS OF SKILLED NURSING FACILI-
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TIES.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1888(e)(2)(A)(ii) of
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the
Social
Security
Act
(42
U.S.C.
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1395yy(e)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting ‘‘clin-
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ical social worker services,’’ after ‘‘qualified psychol-
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ogist services,’’.
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(2)
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
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1861(hh)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
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1395x(hh)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘and other
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than services furnished to an inpatient of a skilled
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nursing facility which the facility is required to pro-
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vide as a requirement for participation’’.
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(c) ACCESS TO THE COMPLETE SET OF CLINICAL SO-
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CIAL WORKER SERVICES.—Section 1861(hh)(2) of the So-
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cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2)) is further
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amended by striking ‘‘for the diagnosis and treatment of
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mental illnesses (other than services’’ and inserting ‘‘(in-
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cluding services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental
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illnesses or services for health and behavior assessment
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and intervention (identified as of January 1, 2019, by
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HCPCS codes 96150 through 96161 (and any succeeding
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codes)), but not including services’’.
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(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
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this section shall apply to items and services furnished on
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or after January 1, 2020.
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