Title: PEERS Act of 2021
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Promoting Effective and Empowering Recovery Services in Medicare Act of 2021 or the PEERS Act of 2021
This bill specifies that peer support specialists may participate in the provision of behavioral health integration services with the supervision of a physician or other entity under Medicare. The bill defines peer support specialists as individuals who are recovering from a mental health or substance-use condition and have certain national or state credentials, as specified, to provide peer support services.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2144 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2144

     To clarify the eligibility for participation of peer support 
specialists in the furnishing of behavioral health integration services 
                      under the Medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 21, 2021

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To clarify the eligibility for participation of peer support 
specialists in the furnishing of behavioral health integration services 
                      under the Medicare program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 2021'' or the ``PEERS Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. CLARIFYING THE ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION OF PEER SUPPORT 
              SPECIALISTS IN THE FURNISHING OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
              INTEGRATION SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) shall be construed as prohibiting a peer 
support specialist (as defined in subsection (b)) from participating in 
the furnishing of behavioral health integration services under such 
title under the supervision of a physician or other entity billing for 
such services under such title.
    (b) Peer Support Specialist Defined.--For purposes of subsection 
(a), the term ``peer support specialist'' means an individual who--
            (1) is recovering from a mental health or substance use 
        condition; and
            (2) is certified as qualified to furnish peer support 
        services under a certification process consistent with the 
        National Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters and inclusive 
        of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
        Administration Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral 
        Health Settings (as established by the State in which such 
        individual furnishes such services or under such national 
        certification process determined appropriate by the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services).
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