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 sub-
sequently 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Effective 
and Empowering Recovery Services in Medicare Act of 
2023’’ or the ‘‘PEERS Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF PEER SUPPORT SERVICES UNDER 
THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. 
(a) COVERAGE.—Section 1861 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (s)(2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (JJ), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(KK) peer support services (as defined in sub-
section (nnn)) furnished on or after January 1, 
2025;’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(nnn) PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) PEER
SUPPORT
SERVICES.—The term 
‘peer support services’ means emotional, informa-
tional, instrumental, and affiliational support serv-
ices— 
‘‘(A) furnished— 
‘‘(i) by a Federally qualified health 
center, a rural health clinic, a community 
mental health center, or a certified commu-
nity behavioral health clinic (as described 
in section 223 of the Protecting Access to 
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Medicare Act of 2014), using a peer sup-
port specialist; and 
‘‘(ii) to an individual who has been di-
agnosed with— 
‘‘(I) a mental disorder; or 
‘‘(II) a substance use disorder; 
and 
‘‘(B) that are designed to assist such indi-
vidual in achieving recovery, integration in the 
community, self-empowerment, and self-deter-
mination (as specified by the Secretary). 
‘‘(2) PEER
SUPPORT
SPECIALIST.—The term 
‘peer support specialist’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(A) is recovering from a mental health or 
substance use condition; and 
‘‘(B) is certified as qualified to furnish 
peer support services under a certification proc-
ess consistent with the National Practice Guide-
lines for Peer Supporters and inclusive of the 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration Core Competencies for Peer 
Workers in Behavioral Health Settings (as es-
tablished by the State in which such individual 
furnishes such services or under such certifi-
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cation process determined appropriate by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services.’’. 
(b) PAYMENT.— 
(1) COMMUNITY
MENTAL
HEALTH
CENTERS 
AND CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
CLINICS.—Section 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ before ‘‘(HH)’’; and 
(B) by inserting before the semicolon: ‘‘, 
and (II) with respect to peer support services 
(as defined in section 1861(nnn)) furnished by 
a community mental health center or a certified 
community behavioral health clinic, the amount 
paid shall be an amount equal to 80 percent of 
the lesser of the actual charge for the services 
or the amount determined by a fee schedule es-
tablished by the Secretary for the purposes of 
this subparagraph’’. 
(2) INCLUSION AS RHC AND FQHC SERVICES.— 
Section 1861(aa)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(1)(B)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or by a mental’’ and in-
serting ‘‘by a mental’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or when using a peer 
support specialist,’’ after ‘‘subsection (ll)(4)),’’. 
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