Bill > HR1533

This bill, the Improving Access to Mental Health Act, aims to improve access to mental health services under the Medicare program. The key provisions of the bill are: 1) It increases the Medicare reimbursement rate for clinical social worker services from 75% to 85% of the fee schedule amount. 2) It excludes clinical social worker services provided to residents of skilled nursing facilities from the prospective payment system, allowing these services to be reimbursed separately. 3) It expands the definition of "clinical social worker services" under Medicare to include certain health behavior assessment and intervention services, in addition to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. 4) The amendments made by the bill will apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2020. The bill is intended to improve access to mental health care for Medicare beneficiaries by increasing reimbursement rates and coverage for clinical social worker services.