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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Brian Banks <advocacy@counseling.org> <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 7, 2022 2:56 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Bhat, Christine <bhatc@ohio.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [External] Stand with Your Colleagues by Asking Congress to Vote to Pass the Mental Health Access Improvement A<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:.75pt"><span style="font-size:1.0pt;color:white">UNCHARTERED WATERS IN MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENTCritical: All Hands-on Deck to Support Bill Passage in 2022For the first time in over a decade the U.S. House of Representatives
and the U.S. Senate are ser<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://d3dkdvqff0zqx.cloudfront.net/groups/counseling/images/ea932e4cbd2d1fa9a4e137066c711399d6f728fa.jpeg"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">UNCHARTERED WATERS IN MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><i><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Critical:
</span></u></i></strong><strong><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">All Hands-on Deck to Support Bill Passage in 2022</span></i></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>For the first time in over a decade the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate are seriously considering passing the
<strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Mental Health Access Improvement Act</span></u></strong> (H.R. 432/ S. 828).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">ALL COUNSELORS</span></strong> working in
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">ALL SPECIALTY AREAS</span></strong> are
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">HIGHLY ENCOURAGED</span></strong> to
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">UNITE AND SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION. </span></strong>We must fight together to gain the needed progress to support the counseling profession and the clients you serve.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">PLEASE STAND WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES BY ASKING CONGRESS TO VOTE TO PASS</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">THE MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS IMPROVEMENT ACT.</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">After Years of Frustration Your Voice Has Moved the Needle.</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">BUT this is not enough. America Needs Your Activism Today to Improve our System Tomorrow!</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><u>Here is what you need to know:</u><o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">
The Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee have already made decisions that improve access and opportunities for counselors in their edits of the Medicare Reimbursement Bills.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">
If the bill were to pass both the House and the Senate this calendar year, we can expect the bill to go in effect for counselors interested enrolling as a Medicare provider by January 1, 2024.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">
The passage of this bill would allow Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors to serve Medicare clients without any restrictions and be reimbursed for your services.
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">NOTE:</span></strong> The term Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors is generic for the purpose od this communication. If you are a mental health counselor of any title as defined by your state
licensure board you would be eligible to enroll.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">NOW WHAT?</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<i>THESE BILLS WILL NOT PASS WITHOUT YOUR ADVOCACY.</i> Please complete this action alert by sending the prepared message. It is important that you take time to customize the message with your experiences and share how this bill will help the constituents in
need of your services.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
Forward this alert to your colleagues, friends and family members and ask them to support you in improving our nations Mental Health system by responding to the alert.<o:p></o:p></li></ol>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center">This is the first of two requests ACA will send. Please support our strategy by responding to both requests.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><i>The American Counseling Association thanks you for your continued support. If you have questions on Medicare Reimbursement, or any issue, or would like to become an ACA member please contact us at: 1-800-347-6647
or </i><a href="mailto:advocacy@counseling.org"><i>advocacy@counseling.org</i></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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