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Federal Legislative Update
Several bills relevant to clinical social workers have been moving on the Hill
this summer:
Clinical Social Worker Medicare Equity Act (S 1212). Senator Mikulski of
Maryland has authored the Conical Social Worker Medicare Equity Act. This would
amend the Medicare program to return to allowing clinical social workers to bill
Medicare directly for services provided to residents of skilled nursing
facilities. Previous legislation inadvertently disallowed such direct billing.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance but has not yet
been set for a hearing.
The Psychiatric and Psychological Examinations Act (S 110), authored by
Senator Inouye of Hawaii, adds clinical social workers to those mental health
professionals authorized to conduct examinations of federal criminal defendants
to determine their mental capacity to stand trial and to determine the question
of insanity at the time of the criminal offense. The bill has been referred to
the Senate Judiciary Committee but has not yet been set for a hearing.
Proposed National Center for Social Work for NIH. Senator Inouye has also
authored legislation (S 106) to establish a National Center for Social Work as
an agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as an advisory
council for the Center. The Center would be authorized to conduct, support, and
disseminate targeted research on social work methods and outcomes on problems of
significant social concern. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions but has not yet been set for a
hearing.
Medicare parity
Representative Murphy of
Pennsylvania has authored HR 1571, which would reduces the co-payment
amount for Medicare outpatient mental health services from 50% to 20%. The
reduction would take place over time and would be complete by 2013. Ultimately,
co-payments would be equal to those required for medical services. The
legislation has been referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and
the Committee on Ways and Means, and has not yet been set for a hearing in
either committee.
The Keeping Families Together Act (S 382) authored by Senator Collins of
Maine and HR 687 authored by Representative Ramstad of Minnesota) would
allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to
establish state systems to treat and provide mental health services to both
children in state custody and those who are at-risk of state custody. In
addition, a task force would be established to examine the problems of mental
health in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, including access to
such services and the role of federal agencies in promoting access to such
services. The Senate bill has been referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions while the House bill has been referred to the
Energy and Commerce Committee. Neither bill has been set for a hearing.
Finally, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007,
H.R. 1424, was introduced in the House on March 9, with Congressman Patrick
Kennedy as prime sponsor. Details on this bill and S. 558, the Mental Health
Parity Act of 2007, introduced by Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), co-sponsored
by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY), appeared in the
June 2007 GWSCSW News & Views (see Advocacy & Legislation – Federal).
Click here..
Our thanks to Richard Yanes, outgoing Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA)
executive director, and Laura Groshong, CSWA director of governmental relations,
for information on mental health issues at the national level.