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<div><font face="Tahoma" size="2">Nikol Bowen, PhD, PCC</font></div>
<div><font face="tahoma" size="2">Assistant Professor</font></div>
<div><font face="tahoma" size="2">Counseling and Higher Education</font></div>
<div><font face="tahoma" size="2">Patton College of Education</font></div>
<div><font face="tahoma" size="2">Ohio University</font></div>
<div><font face="tahoma" size="2"><a href="mailto:bowenn@ohio.edu">bowenn@ohio.edu</a></font></div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000" face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>From:</b> jfinley@amhca.org <jfinley@amhca.org><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, July 29, 2015 3:58 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Bowen, Nikol<br>
<b>Subject:</b> AMHCA Action Alert on Medicare Legislation</font>
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<div style="font-size:1.2em; line-height:1.8"><var id="LETTER.BLOCK7.greeting">Dear Nikol Bowen,</var></div>
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<td style="text-align:left"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">Medicare Legislation Action Alert</span>
<p>New bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to extend Medicare provider status to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists. On July 22, 2015 Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the “Seniors Mental
Health Access Improvement Act” (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amhca.org/link.asp?e=bowenn@ohio.edu&job=1978329&ymlink=3860702&finalurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Econgress%2Egov%2Fbill%2F114th%2Dcongress%2Fsenate%2Dbill%2F1830%3Fq%3D%257B%2522search%2522%253A%255B%2522%255C%2522s1830%255C%2522%2522%255D%257D">S.
1830</a>) and on June 12, 2015 Representatives Chris Gibson (R-NY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced the House version as (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amhca.org/link.asp?e=bowenn@ohio.edu&job=1978329&ymlink=3860702&finalurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Econgress%2Egov%2Fbill%2F114th%2Dcongress%2Fhouse%2Dbill%2F2759%2Ftext%3Fq%3D%257B%2522search%2522%253A%255B%2522%255C%2522hr2759%255C%2522%2522%255D%257D">HR.
2759</a>). The identical bills would allow Medicare beneficiaries access to mental health counselor services and marriage and family therapists (MFTs) through Medicare. By providing these mental health professionals the opportunity to participate in the Medicare
program, the bills expand the number of mental health providers available to beneficiaries.
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Describing the need for the legislation, AMHCA notes that in the United States 20 percent of individuals aged 55 and older experience some type of mental health problem. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, there are approximately
4,000 Mental Health Professionals Shortage Areas in the United States, and half of all counties in the U.S. have no practicing psychiatrists, psychologists or clinical social workers. Seniors in rural communities are the most adversely affected by these shortage
areas. The time to promote Medicare recognition of mental health counselors and MFTs is now. Urge your two Senators and Representative to co-sponsor this vital legislation that would authorize MHCs and MFTs to be paid by Medicare for outpatient mental health
services to beneficiaries. <br>
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<span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><strong>Action Requested</strong></span><br>
AMHCA members are urged to email their two U.S. Senators and one Representative to urge them to co-sponsor
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amhca.org/link.asp?e=bowenn@ohio.edu&job=1978329&ymlink=3860702&finalurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Econgress%2Egov%2Fbill%2F114th%2Dcongress%2Fsenate%2Dbill%2F1830%3Fq%3D%257B%2522search%2522%253A%255B%2522%255C%2522s1830%255C%2522%2522%255D%257D">
S. 1830</a>/<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amhca.org/link.asp?e=bowenn@ohio.edu&job=1978329&ymlink=3860702&finalurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Econgress%2Egov%2Fbill%2F114th%2Dcongress%2Fhouse%2Dbill%2F2759%2Ftext%3Fq%3D%257B%2522search%2522%253A%255B%2522%255C%2522hr2759%255C%2522%2522%255D%257D">HR.
2759</a>. AMHCA members may find their Senators and Representative’s email address on their office websites. See these suggested email messages to
<a target="_self" href="http://www.amhca.org/link.asp?e=bowenn@ohio.edu&job=1978329&ymlink=3860702&finalurl=https%3A%2F%2Famhca%2Esite%2Dym%2Ecom%2F%3Fsamplesenate">
<strong>Senate </strong></a>and <strong><a target="_self" href="http://www.amhca.org/link.asp?e=bowenn@ohio.edu&job=1978329&ymlink=3860702&finalurl=https%3A%2F%2Famhca%2Esite%2Dym%2Ecom%2F%3Fsamplehouse">House</a></strong> offices.
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<span style="color:rgb(14,43,141)"><strong>Background and Justification</strong></span><br>
About 50 percent of rural counties have no practicing psychiatrists or psychologists. Mental Health Counselors and MFTs are often the only mental health providers in many communities, and yet they are not now recognized as covered providers within the Medicare
program. These therapists have equivalent or greater training, education and practice rights as currently eligible provider groups that can bill for mental health services through Medicare.
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Other government agencies already recognize these professions for independent practice, including The National Health Service Corps, the Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs and TRICARE. Medicare needs to utilize the skills of these providers to ensure that beneficiaries
have access to necessary services. </p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:rgb(14,43,141)"><strong>Lack of Access in Rural and Underserved Areas-</strong></span>-Approximately 20 percent of individuals aged 55 and older experience some type of mental health problem. According to the Health Resources and Services
Administration, there are approximately 4,000 Mental Health Professionals Shortage Areas in the United States, and half of all counties in the U.S. have no practicing psychiatrists, psychologists or clinical social workers. However, many of these mental health
professional shortage areas have mental health counselors whose services are underutilized due to lack of Medicare coverage.
</li><li><span style="color:rgb(14,43,141)"><strong>Medicare Inefficiency-</strong></span>-Currently, Medicare is a very inefficient purchaser of mental health services. Inpatient psychiatric hospital utilization by elderly Medicare recipients is extraordinarily
high when compared to psychiatric hospitalization rates for patients covered by Medicaid, VA, TRICARE, and private health insurance. One-third of these expensive inpatient placements are caused by clinical depression and addiction disorders that can be treated
for much lower costs when detected early through the outpatient mental health services of MHCs.
</li><li><span style="color:rgb(14,43,141)"><strong>Underserved Minority Populations--</strong></span>The United State Surgeon General noted in a report entitled Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity that “striking disparities in access, quality, and availability
of mental health services exist for racial and ethnic minority Americans.” A critical result of this disparity is that minority communities bear a disproportionately high burden of disability from untreated or inadequately treated mental disorders.
</li><li><strong><span style="color:rgb(14,43,141)">Medicare provider eligibility for mental health counselors and MFTs is long overdue--</span></strong>These two professions represent over 40 percent of today’s licensed mental health practitioners. Unfortunately,
Medicare has not been modernized to recognize their essential contribution in today’s health delivery system. Congressional scoring rules obscure the dollars saved by utilizing their services to treat mental health conditions before they exacerbate into more
serious mental and physical disorders. </li></ul>
<p>Please direct inquiries to James K. Finley, AMHCA Associate Executive Director:
<em><a href="mailto:jfinley@amhca.org">jfinley@amhca.org</a></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center">If you wish to stop receiving email from us, you can simply remove yourself by visiting:
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<p style="color:rgb(102,102,102); margin-bottom:10px; text-align:center"><span>The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) works to enhance the profession of mental health counseling through advocacy, education, licensure, and professional development.</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(102,102,102); margin-bottom:10px; text-align:center"><span><em style="color:rgb(0,0,153)">AMHCA, 801 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314, 703-548-6002, www.amhca.org</em></span></p>
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