Health Reform Legislation Moves Toward House Floor, Without Counselor Medicare Provision

Need to Trim Bill's Costs Results in Loss of Benefit Improvements

On Thursday, March 18, House leaders unveiled a package of legislative changes to the Senate-passed health insurance reform bill. Unfortunately, the package does not include language to establish Medicare reimbursement of licensed professional counselors. Due to the need for the package to reduce the federal deficit even more than the Senate's health care bill already does, many provisions wanted by health care advocates—including other mental health professional organizations—were jettisoned from the legislation.

ACA has a long history of supporting universal access to health insurance. We continue to support the health insurance reform legislation, and encourage counselors to express their support to their members of Congress. However, we are continuing to push for enactment of counselor Medicare reimbursement legislation later this year. Counselors can help in this effort by asking members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 1693 and S. 671. These bipartisan bills focus solely on establishing Medicare coverage of licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. Click here to find out if your Representative is a cosponsor of H.R. 1693, and click here to find out if your Senators are cosponsors of S. 671.

For more information, contact Scott Barstow, ACA Director of Public Policy and Legislation, at 800-347-6647 x234, email: sbarstow@counseling.org.