Bill > S838

This bill, the Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2023, aims to amend the Social Security Act to improve access to mental health services under the Medicare program. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Increasing the reimbursement rate for clinical social worker services from 75% to 85% of the fee schedule amount provided under Medicare's physician fee schedule. 2. Excluding clinical social worker services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, allowing residents of these facilities to access these services directly. 3. Expanding the scope of clinical social worker services covered by Medicare to include services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, as well as health and behavior assessment and intervention. 4. The amendments made by this bill would apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2024.