News of SDCA & ACA
MAY 2006 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - NATIONAL NEWS
Medicare
On May 9, 2006, U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY) introduced the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2006 (H.R. 5324), which would permit mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to bill Medicare for services provided to seniors. Specifically, the legislation would include licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists among the list of providers who can deliver services to Medicare beneficiaries, provided they are legally authorized to perform those services under their state's licensure law.
It is imperative that counselors contact their Representative to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 5324, as a way of demonstrating support for the legislation. Please visit ACA's legislative action center (http://capwiz.com/counseling/issues/alert/?alertid=8442246&type=CO) to send an email to your Representative asking him/her to cosponsor H.R. 5324. For more information, contact Brian Altman, at 800-347-6647, ext. 242, or by email at: baltman@counseling.org
TRICARE
On Thursday, May 11, the House of Representatives passed the FY 2007 National Defense Authorization Act. Most importantly for counselors, the bill includes a provision sponsored by Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) granting independent practice authority to licensed mental health counselors practicing under TRICARE. Current TRICARE law stipulates that licensed mental health counselors are the only mental health professionals required to operate under physician referral and supervision.
The full Senate has not yet voted on its version of the defense authorization bill (S. 2507). As approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee, S. 2507 does not include a provision establishing independent practice authority for counselors under TRICARE.
Please call your Senators and ask them to contact the Senate Armed Services Committee to express support for independent practice authority in TRICARE for licensed professional counselors. For more information, contact Brian Altman at 800-347-6647, ext. 242, or by email at: baltman@counseling.org
Veterans Administration
On May 16, Reps. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Michael Michaud (D-ME) introduced H.R. 5396, the Veterans Mental Health Care Access Improvement Act. This bipartisan legislation would recognize licensed mental health counselors as providers in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. Specifically, the bill would allow mental health counselors to be eligible for better paying jobs with a greater potential for promotion at the VA. Reps. Moran and Michaud are both members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on Health. Please visit ACA's legislative action center (http://capwiz.com/counseling/issues/alert/?alertid=8342041) to send an email to your Representative asking him/her to cosponsor H.R. 5396. For more information, contact Brian Altman at 800-347-6647, ext. 242, or by email at: baltman@counseling.org
School Counseling Program
ACA and other education advocacy organizations have been busy working to protect important programs as the appropriations process get underway.
This month, ACA, along with a core group of interested organizations, began meeting with key staff from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to lobby for increased funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP). The ESSCP is the only federal program devoted to supporting counseling programs in our nation's schools.
In addition to the meetings, ACA drafted and circulated two sign-on letters to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, HHS, and ED. Twenty-three national organizations signed on to the ESSCP letter, which urges the Committees to reject the President's proposal to eliminate funding for the ESSCP in fiscal year (FY) 2007, and instead to support sufficient funding for this program to allow middle and high, as well as elementary, schools to benefit from this program. Currently the ESSCP is funded at $34.65 million. For more information, contact Chris Campbell at 800-347-6647, ext. 241, or by e-mail at: ccampbell@counseling.org, or visit ACA's legislative action center at: http://capwiz.com/counseling/.