Medicare Mental Health Access Act

Bill: 113-s-1064
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2013-05-23
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health personnel

Medicare

Mental health
Latest action: action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-05-23
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Medicare Mental Health Access Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to treat as a physician, for Medicare purposes, a clinical psychologist acting within the scope of a psychologist's license (or other state law authorization), but only with respect to the furnishing of clinical psychologists services which the psychologist is legally authorized to perform by the state. </p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1064 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 23, 2013 Mr. Brown introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of furnishing clinical psychologist services under the Medicare program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Medicare Mental Health Access Act . 2. Treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of furnishing clinical psychologist services (a) In general The first sentence of section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(r) ) is amended— (1) by striking or before (5) ; and (2) by inserting before the period the following: , or (6) a clinical psychologist, but only with respect to the furnishing of qualified psychologist services described in subsection (ii) for which the psychologist is legally authorized to perform by the State and who is acting within the scope of the psychologist’s license (or other authorization under State law) . (b) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2014.