,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bfac  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bb1    
#bjah,ms4 ,stabenow 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,barrasso7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a      
,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of the  
,social ,security ,act to improve access
 to mental health services under the    
,medicare program4  #a4 ,short title    
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,improving ,access to ,mental ,health   
,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,improved access to 
mental health services under the        
,medicare program  7a7 ,access to       
clinical social workers ,section        
#ahcc7;a77#a77;,f77ii7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciel7a77#a77;,f77ii77 is amended by   
striking #ge percent of the amount      
determined for payment of a psychologist
 under clause 7,l7 and inserting #he    
percent of the fee schedule amount      
provided under section #ahdh4  7b7      

,access to clinical social worker       
services provided to residents of       
skilled nursing facilities  7#a7 ,in    
general ,section #ahhh7;e77#b77;,a77ii7 
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #acieyy7e77#b77;,a77ii77 is   
amended by inserting clinical social    
worker services1 after qualified        
psychologist services14  7#b7           
,conforming amendment ,section          
#ahfa7;hh77#b7 of the ,social ,security 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7hh77#b77 is  
amended by striking and other than      
services furnished to an inpatient of a 
skilled nursing facility which the      
facility is required to provide as a    
requirement for participation4  7c7     
,access to the complete set of clinical 
social worker services ,section         
#ahfa7;hh77#b7 of the ,social ,security 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7hh77#b77 is  
further amended by striking for the     
diagnosis and treatment of mental       
illnesses 7other than services and      
inserting 7including health behavior    

assessment and intervention 7identified 
as of ,january #a1 #bjae1 by ,,hcpcs    
codes #ifaej through #ifaee 7and any    
succeeding codes771 but not including   
services4  7d7 ,effective date ,the     
amendments made by this section shall   
apply to items and services furnished on
 or after ,january #a1 #bjai4