,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cdih  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ac1 
#bjbc,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself   
and ,mr4 ,cassidy7 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   
for coverage of peer support services   
under the ,medicare program4  #a4 ,short
 title ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,promoting ,effective and ,empowering   
,recovery ,services in ,medicare ,act of
 #bjbc or the ,,peers ,act of #bjbc4    
#b4 ,coverage of peer support services  
under the ,medicare program  7a7        
,coverage ,section #ahfa of the ,social 
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7 is
 amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7s77#b7-- 
7,a7 in subparagraph 7,,jj71 by         
inserting and after the semicolon at the
 end2 and  7,b7 by adding at the end the
 following new subparagraph3  7,,kk7    
peer support services 7as defined in    

subsection 7nnn77 furnished on or after 
,january #a1 #bjbe2  2 and  7#b7 by     
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7nnn7 ,peer support        
services  7#a7 ,peer support services   
,the term peer support services means   
emotional1 informational1 instrumental1 
and affiliational support services--    
7,a7 furnished-- 7i7 by a ,federally    
qualified health center1 a rural health 
clinic1 a community mental health       
center1 or a certified community        
behavioral health clinic 7as described  
in section #bbc of the ,protecting      
,access to ,medicare ,act of #bjad71    
using a peer support specialist2 and    
7ii7 to an individual who has been      
diagnosed with-- 7,i7 a mental disorder2
 or  7,,ii7 a substance use disorder2   
and  7,b7 that are designed to assist   
such individual in achieving recovery1  
integration in the community1           
self-empowerment1 and self-determination
 7as specified by the ,secretary74  7#b7
 ,peer support specialist ,the term peer

 support specialist means an individual 
who-- 7,a7 is recovering from a mental  
health or substance use condition2 and  
7,b7 is certified as qualified to       
furnish peer support services under a   
certification process consistent with   
the ,national ,practice ,guidelines for 
,peer ,supporters and inclusive of the  
,substance ,abuse and ,mental ,health   
,services ,administration ,core         
,competencies for ,peer ,workers in     
,behavioral ,health ,settings 7as       
established by the ,state in which such 
individual furnishes such services or   
under such certification process        
determined appropriate by the ,secretary
 of ,health and ,human ,services4  4    
7b7 ,payment  7#a7 ,community mental    
health centers and certified community  
behavioral health clinics ,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,,hh72 and  7,b7 by inserting before   
the semicolon3 1 and 7,,ii7 with respect

 to peer support services 7as defined in
 section #ahfa7nnn77 furnished by a     
community mental health center or a     
certified community behavioral health   
clinic1 the amount paid shall be an     
amount equal to #hj percent of the      
lesser of the actual charge for the     
services or the amount determined by a  
fee schedule established by the         
,secretary for the purposes of this     
subparagraph4  7#b7 ,inclusion as ,,rhc 
and ,,fqhc services ,section            
#ahfa7;aa77#a77;,b7 of the ,social      
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7aa77#a77;,b77 is amended-- 7,a7  
by striking or by a mental and inserting
 by a mental2 and  7,b7 by inserting or 
when using a peer support specialist1   
after subsection 7ll77#d7714  7c7       
,exclusion modification ,section        
#ahfb7;a77#a7 of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7a77#a77 is   
amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,o71 by 
striking and at the end2  7#b7 in       
subparagraph 7,p71 by striking the      

semicolon at the end and inserting 1    
and2 and  7#c7 by adding at the end the 
following new subparagraph3  7,q7 in the
 case of peer support services 7as      
defined in section #ahfa7nnn771 which   
are not furnished by a rural health     
clinic1 a ,federally qualified health   
center1 a community mental health       
center1 or a certified community        
behavioral health clinic2  4