I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2644 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage 

of marriage and family therapist services under Medicare part B, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2007 

Mr. JEFFERSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 

Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for coverage of marriage and family therapist services 

under Medicare part B, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Marriage and 

5 Family Therapist Services Improvement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST 

2 SERVICES UNDER MEDICARE PART B. 

3 (a) COVERAGE OF SERVICES.—Section 1861(s)(2) of 

4 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amend5 ed— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (Z), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

7 the end; 

8 (2) in subparagraph (AA), by adding at the end 

9 ‘‘and’’; and 

10 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub11 paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(BB) marriage and family therapist serv13 ices (as defined in subsection (ccc)(1));’’. 

14 (b) DEFINITION.—Section 1861 of such Act (42 

15 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended by adding at the end the fol16 lowing new subsection: 

17 ‘‘(ccc) MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST SERV18 ICES.—(1) The term ‘marriage and family therapist serv19 ices’ means services performed by a marriage and family 

20 therapist (as defined in paragraph (2)) for the diagnosis 

21 and treatment of mental illnesses, which the marriage and 

22 family therapist is legally authorized to perform under 

23 State law (or the State regulatory mechanism provided by 

24 State law) of the State in which such services are per25 formed, as would otherwise be covered if furnished by a 

26 physician or as an incident to a physician’s professional 


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1 service, but only if no facility or other provider charges 

2 or is paid any amounts with respect to the furnishing of 

3 such services. 

4 ‘‘(2) The term ‘marriage and family therapist’ means 

5 an individual who— 

6 ‘‘(A) possesses a master’s or doctoral degree 

7 which qualifies for licensure or certification as a 

8 marriage and family therapist pursuant to State 

9 law; 

10 ‘‘(B) after obtaining such degree has performed 

11 at least two years of clinical supervised experience in 

12 marriage and family therapy; and 

13 ‘‘(C) in the case of an individual performing 

14 services in a State that provides for licensure or cer15 tification of marriage or family therapists, is li16 censed or certified as a marriage and family thera17 pist in such State.’’. 

18 (c) PROVISION FOR PAYMENT UNDER PART B.—Sec19 tion 1832(a)(2)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

20 1395k(a)(2)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the fol21 lowing new clause: 

22 ‘‘(v) marriage and family therapist serv23 ices;’’. 

24 (d) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—Section 1833(a)(1) of 

25 such Act (42 U.S.C. 13951(a)(1)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘and (V)’’ and inserting ‘‘(V)’’; 

2 and 

3 (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end 

4 the following: ‘‘, and (W) with respect to marriage 

5 and family therapist services under section 

6 1861(s)(2)(BB), the amounts paid shall be 90 per7 cent of the lesser of the actual charge for the serv8 ices or 85 percent of the amount determined for 

9 payment of a psychologist under clause (L)’’. 

10 (e) EXCLUSION OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERA11 PIST SERVICES FROM SKILLED NURSING FACILITY PRO12 SPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM.—Section 1888(e)(2)(A)(ii) 

13 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended 

14 by inserting ‘‘marriage and family therapist services,’’ 

15 after ‘‘qualified psychologist services,’’. 

16 (f) INCLUSION OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERA17 PISTS AS PRACTITIONERS FOR ASSIGNMENT OF

18 CLAIMS.—Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

19 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the 

20 following new clause: 

21 ‘‘(vii) A marriage and family therapist 

22 (as defined in section 1861(ccc)(2)).’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST 

2 SERVICES PROVIDED IN CERTAIN SETTINGS. 

3 (a) RURAL HEALTH CLINICS.—Section 

4 1861(aa)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 1395x(aa)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, by a mar6 riage and family therapist (as defined in subsection 

7 (ccc)(2)),’’ after ‘‘by a clinical psychologist (as defined by 

8 the Secretary)’’. 

9 (b) HOSPICE PROGRAMS.—Section 

10 1861(dd)(2)(B)(i)(III) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

11 1395x(dd)(2)(B)(i)(III)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or mar12 riage and family therapist (as defined in subsection 

13 (ccc)(2))’’ after ‘‘social worker’’. 

14 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY 

15 THERAPISTS TO DEVELOP DISCHARGE PLANS 

16 FOR POST-HOSPITAL SERVICES. 

17 Section 1861(ee)(2)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 

18 U.S.C. 1395x(ee)(2)(G)) is amended by inserting ‘‘mar19 riage and family therapist (as defined in subsection 

20 (ccc)(2)),’’ after ‘‘social worker,’’. 

21 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

22 The amendments made by this Act apply with respect 

23 to services furnished on or after November 1, 2007. 

Æ 


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