,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdab  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #a1    
#bjai ,mr4 ,tester 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 provide   
coverage of addiction counselor services
 under part ,b of the ,medicare program4
  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act may be   
cited as the ,addiction ,treatment      
,access ,act4  #b4 ,coverage of         
addiction counselor services under part 
,b of the ,medicare program  7a7        
,coverage of ,services  7#a7 ,in general
 ,section #ahfa7s77#b7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7s77#b77 is amended-- 7,a7 in     
subparagraph 7,,gg71 by striking and at 
the end2  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,,hh71  
by striking the period at the end and   
inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7 by adding at 
the end the following new subparagraph3 
7,,ii7 addiction counselor services 7as 

defined in subsection 7kkk77#a772 4     
7#b7 ,definitions ,section #ahfa of the 
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciex7 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection3  7kkk7    
,addiction counselor services2 addiction
 counselor  7#a7 ,the term addiction    
counselor services means services       
performed by an addiction counselor 7as 
defined in paragraph 7#b77 for the      
diagnosis and treatment of substance    
abuse and addiction that the addiction  
counselor is legally authorized to      
perform under ,state law 7or the ,state 
regulatory mechanism provided by the    
,state law7 of the ,state in which such 
services are performed1 as would        
otherwise be covered if furnished by a  
physician or as incident to a           
physician's professional service1 which 
may include--  7,a7 addiction           
assessment2  7,b7 addiction counseling2 
7,c7 crisis management2  7,d7 drug      
therapy2  7,e7 treatment planning2 and  
7,f7 treatment of co-occurring          

disorders1  but only if no facility or  
other provider charges or is paid any   
amounts with respect to the furnishing  
of such services4  7#b7 ,the term       
addiction counselor means an individual 
who-- 7,a7 has completed coursework or  
training specific to treating substance 
use disorders1 including with respect to
 the addiction counseling competencies  
identified in the document published by 
the ,substance ,abuse and ,mental       
,health ,services ,administration as    
part of the ,technical ,assistance      
,publication 7,,tap7 series1 number #ba1
 entitled ,addiction ,counseling        
,competencies3 ,the ,knowledge1 ,skills1
 and ,attitudes of ,profressional       
,practice 7or any successor             
publication72 and  7,b7 in the case of  
an individual performing services in a  
,state that provides for licensure or   
certification of addiction counselors1  
is licensed or certified as an addiction
 counselor or alcohol and drug counselor
 in such ,state4  4  7#c7 ,provision for

 payment under part ,b ,section         
#ahcb7;a77#b77;,b7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciek7a77#b77;,b77 is amended-- 7,a7 by
 striking and at the end of clause 7iv72
 and  7,b7 by adding at the end the     
following new clause3  7v7 addiction    
counselor services2  4  7#d7 ,amount of 
payment ,section #ahcc7;a77#a7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciel7a77#a77 is amended--  7,a7 by    
striking and before 7,,cc72 and  7,b7 by
 inserting before the semicolon at the  
end the following3 1 and 7,,dd7 with    
respect to addiction counselor services 
under section #ahfa7s77#b77;,,ii71 the  
amounts paid shall be #hj percent of the
 lesser of the actual charge for the    
services or #fj percent of the amount   
determined for payment of a psychologist
 under subparagraph 7,l744  7#e7        
,inclusion of addiction counselors as   
practitioners for assignment of claims  
,section #ahdb7;b77#ah77;,c7 of the     
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   

#acieu7b77#ah77;,c77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following new     
clause3  7vii7 ,an addiction counselor  
7as defined in section #ahfa7kkk77#b774 
4  7b7 ,coverage in rural health clinics
 and federally qualified health centers 
,section #ahfa7;aa77#a77;,b7 of the     
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciex7aa77#a77;,b77 is amended by      
striking or by a clinical social worker 
7as defined in subsection 7hh77#a771 and
 inserting 1 by a clinical social worker
 7as defined in subsection 7hh77#a771 or
 by an addiction counselor 7as defined  
in section #ahfa7kkk77#b7744  7c7       
,effective ,date ,the amendments made by
 this section shall apply with respect  
to services furnished on or after       
,january #a1 #bjbj4