LEGISLATIVE ALERT!
Ask Your Senators to Cosponsor the Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015 (S. 2173)
The two main goals of the Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015 are to increase beneficiary access to clinical social worker (CSW) services and to increase the provider reimbursement rates.
This bill will:
- Increase Medicare reimbursement for CSW services from 75% to 85% of the physician fee schedule rate. All other non-physicians are currently reimbursed 85%.
- Eliminate restrictions on the delivery of social work services in skilled nursing facilities. Currently, under Medicare Part B, clinical social workers cannot be directly reimbursed in skilled nursing facilities.
- Allow clinical social workers to perform full range of services as allowed under each state’s scope of practice.
If you’re not a Medicare provider, why is this bill important to you?
- Medicare rates may have a positive impact on private reimbursement rates.
- This will expand access to mental health services.
- This gives the field of social work more credibility and equal recognition.
CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATORS:
Richard Blumenthal: Call (202) 224-2823 or message through http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact
Chris Murphy: Call (202) 224-4041 or message through http://www.murphy.senate.gov/contact
*Ask our Senators to co-sponsor Senate Bill 2173 by using this script
For more information on this bill, contact Steve Karp, LMSW – skarp@naswct.net or 860-257-8066
Please let Steve know if you’ve contacted your Senators, so that we can track the contacts made.
