I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6748 

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

of peer support services under the Medicare program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 13, 2023 

Ms. CHU (for herself and Mr. SMITH of Nebraska) 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 peer support services under the Medicare 

program. 

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 ‘‘Promoting Effective 

5 and Empowering Recovery Services in Medicare Act of 

6 2023’’ or the ‘‘PEERS Act of 2023’’. 

2 

•HR 6748 IH

1 SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF PEER SUPPORT SERVICES UNDER 

2 THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. 

3 (a) COVERAGE.—Section 1861 of the Social Security 

4 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (s)(2)— 

6 (A) in subparagraph (JJ), by inserting 

7 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; and 

8 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

9 subparagraph: 

10 ‘‘(KK) peer support services (as defined in sub11 section (nnn)) furnished on or after January 1, 

12 2025;’’; and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub14 section: 

15 ‘‘(nnn) PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.— 

16 ‘‘(1) PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.—The term 

17 ‘peer support services’ means emotional, informa18 tional, instrumental, and affiliational support serv19 ices— 

20 ‘‘(A) furnished— 

21 ‘‘(i) by a Federally qualified health 

22 center, a rural health clinic, a community 

23 mental health center, or a certified commu24 nity behavioral health clinic (as described 

25 in section 223 of the Protecting Access to 

3 

•HR 6748 IH

1 Medicare Act of 2014), using a peer sup2 port specialist; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) to an individual who has been di4 agnosed with— 

5 ‘‘(I) a mental disorder; or 

6 ‘‘(II) a substance use disorder; 

7 and 

8 ‘‘(B) that are designed to assist such indi9 vidual in achieving recovery, integration in the 

10 community, self-empowerment, and self-deter11 mination (as specified by the Secretary). 

12 ‘‘(2) PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST.—The term 

13 ‘peer support specialist’ means an individual who— 

14 ‘‘(A) is recovering from a mental health or 

15 substance use condition; and 

16 ‘‘(B) is certified as qualified to furnish 

17 peer support services under a certification proc18 ess consistent with the National Practice Guide19 lines for Peer Supporters and inclusive of the 

20 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

21 Administration Core Competencies for Peer 

22 Workers in Behavioral Health Settings (as es23 tablished by the State in which such individual 

24 furnishes such services or under such certifiVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Dec 29, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6748.IH H6748
4 

•HR 6748 IH

1 cation process determined appropriate by the 

2 Secretary of Health and Human Services.’’. 

3 (b) PAYMENT.— 

4 (1) COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS

5 AND CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

6 CLINICS.—Section 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security 

7 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)) is amended— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ before ‘‘(HH)’’; and 

9 (B) by inserting before the semicolon: ‘‘, 

10 and (II) with respect to peer support services 

11 (as defined in section 1861(nnn)) furnished by 

12 a community mental health center or a certified 

13 community behavioral health clinic, the amount 

14 paid shall be an amount equal to 80 percent of 

15 the lesser of the actual charge for the services 

16 or the amount determined by a fee schedule es17 tablished by the Secretary for the purposes of 

18 this subparagraph’’. 

19 (2) INCLUSION AS RHC AND FQHC SERVICES.— 

20 Section 1861(aa)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act 

21 (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(1)(B)) is amended— 

22 (A) by striking ‘‘or by a mental’’ and in23 serting ‘‘by a mental’’; and 

24 (B) by inserting ‘‘or when using a peer 

25 support specialist,’’ after ‘‘subsection (ll)(4)),’’. 

5 

•HR 6748 IH

1 (c) EXCLUSION MODIFICATION.—Section 1862(a)(1) 

2 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(1)) is 

3 amended— 

4 (1) in subparagraph (O), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

5 the end; 

6 (2) in subparagraph (P), by striking the semi7 colon at the end and inserting ‘‘, and’’; and 

8 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub9 paragraph: 

10 ‘‘(Q) in the case of peer support services (as de11 fined in section 1861(nnn)), which are not furnished 

12 by a rural health clinic, a Federally qualified health 

13 center, a community mental health center, or a cer14 tified community behavioral health clinic;’’. 

Æ