Medicare Coverage of Licensed Professional Counselors – Senate Bill Introduced
3.24.2011
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to establish Medicare reimbursement of licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. As with previous versions of the legislation, the “Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2011,” S. 604, would cover only medically-necessary outpatient mental health services, and would reimburse licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists at the same reimbursement rates, and under the same terms and conditions, as clinical social workers.
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Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognition of Licensed Professional Counselors
3.23.2011
The VA issued an occupational standard for “licensed professional mental health counselors” (LPMHCs) in September of 2010. The standard establishes LPMHCs at the same GS series levels of pay and responsibility as clinical social workers.
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Access to Counseling in Department of Defense’s TRICARE Health Services Program
3.8.2011
For many years, licensed professional counselors have been the only mental health service professionals required to operate under physician referral and supervision within the TRICARE program. Congress included language in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2011, which was signed into law in January, directing the Department of Defense to adopt regulations to allow counselors to practice independently. The law gives the Department of Defense (DoD) until June 20th of this year to do this.
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ACA Recommendations for ESEA Reauthorization
3.7.2011
Many bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to variously amend, or alter, the main federal education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It was last reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Congress has yet to take up comprehensive legislation to fully reauthorize the law.
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Bills Support School Counseling Services
9.29.2010
Members of Congress have introduced several important pieces of legislation that would support credentialed school counselors. Lawmakers are working to get their bills' language inserted into the revised, or reauthorized, version of the main federal law on K-12 education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as No Child Left Behind or ESEA). Congress is expected to take up ESEA reauthorization in 2011.
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