Medicare Mental Health Access Act

Bill: 114-s-2597
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2016-02-25
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health personnel

Medicare

Mental health
Latest action: action_date: 2016-02-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-02-25
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Medicare Mental Health Access Act</strong></p> <p>This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand the definition of "physician," for purposes of the Medicare program, to include a clinical psychologist with respect to the furnishing of qualified psychologist services.</p> <p>The bill excludes a clinical psychologist, in 2017 and 2018,&nbsp;from certain negative payment adjustments for failing to be a meaningful electronic health records user.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2597 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 25, 2016 Mr. Brown (for himself and Ms. Collins ) 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) Application of meaningful use payments to clinical psychologists For purposes of section 1848(a)(7) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(a)(7) ), for 2017 and 2018, with respect to clinical psychologists, the term applicable percent means 100 percent. (c) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2017.