S. 1797

119 S1797 IS: Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act
 U.S. Senate
 2025-05-15
 text/xml
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  II
  119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
  S. 1797
  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
  May 15, 2025
  Mr. Barrasso  (for himself and  Mr. Coons ) introduced the following bill; 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 program.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act  .
2.
Improved access to mental health services under the Medicare program
(a)
Access to clinical social worker services provided to residents of skilled
  nursing facilities
(1)
Exclusion of clinical social worker services from the skilled nursing
  facility prospective payment system
Section 1888(e)(2)(A)(iii) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395yy(e)(2)(A)(iii) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subclause:
(VII)
Clinical social worker services (as defined in section 1861(hh)(2)).
  .
(2)
Conforming amendment
Section 1861(hh)(2) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2) ) 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 participation .
(b)
Access to the complete set of clinical social worker services
Section 1861(hh)(2) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(2) ), as amended by subsection (a)(2), is amended—
(1)
by striking  for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses (other than services  and inserting  , including services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses or services for health and behavior assessment and intervention (identified as of January 1, 2023, by HCPCS codes 96156, 96158–96161, 96164–96168, and 96170–96171 (and any succeeding codes)) but not including services ; and
(2)
by striking  inpatient of a hospital)  and inserting  inpatient of a hospital, .
(c)
Effective date
The amendments made by this section shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2026.