Representatives Fitzpatrick and Tonko introduce legislation broadening access to care for Medicare beneficiaries
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-02) and Paul Tonko (D-NY-20) for introducing the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act, a bipartisan bill that would make mental health services provided by clinical social workers more available to Medicare beneficiaries. They are joining Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Chris Coons (D-DE) who introduced this legislation in the Senate in May.
“The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Paul Tonko for introducing the bipartisan Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act,” said NASW CEO Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C. “Medicare beneficiaries residing in skilled nursing facilities cannot currently receive the mental health services they need due to an outdated barrier limiting access to services provided by independent clinical social workers (CSWs). Passage of this legislation will represent a significant step forward by removing this obstacle, thereby permitting beneficiaries to avoid interruptions in services or receive them for the first time from an CSW. This legislation will also ensure that all beneficiaries are able to receive services used by CSWs to identify and address the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social factors that are important to effective treatment or management of physical health problems that are unrelated to mental illness. NASW thanks Representatives Fitzpatrick and Tonko for their leadership in introducing this vital legislation in the House of Representatives.”
“Our seniors deserve access to the full range of care they’ve earned,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “This legislation is a direct response to what I’ve heard across our community: that mental health care is essential, and access is too often out of reach. By lifting outdated barriers, we’re expanding the workforce, unlocking critical services in nursing homes, and making sure no senior falls through the cracks. I’ll keep fighting for bipartisan solutions that treat mental health care as health care - because that’s exactly what it is.”
"On behalf of the NASW Pennsylvania Chapter, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick for introducing the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act with Rep. Paul Tonko. The Commonwealth’s older adults and people with disabilities are currently not adequately provided with qualified mental health care services. Social workers are one of the nation’s largest mental health workforces but are unable to treat those in skilled nursing facilities because of outdated Medicare rules. We are grateful to Rep. Fitzpatrick for his leadership in bringing those rules in line with current needs," said NASW Pennsylvania Chapter Executive Director, Johanna Byrd, ACSW, IOM, CAE.
“As with any health care service, mental and behavioral health services should be readily available to all who need it,” Rep. Tonko said. “Supporting and expanding access to clinical social workers is a critical part of delivering patients comprehensive, compassionate care. I’m proud to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation that lifts barriers preventing seniors from receiving the care they deserve.”
“NASW-New York is pleased to support Representatives Paul Tonko and Brian Fitzpatrick in their introduction of the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act. This important legislation represents a critical step toward ensuring that older adults in skilled nursing facilities receive the comprehensive mental and behavioral health care they deserve,” said NASW-New York Executive Director Shakira Kennedy, PhD, LMSW. “By allowing clinical social workers to bill in skilled nursing facilities and provide Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention services through Medicare, this bill recognizes the essential role social workers play in meeting the complex needs of one of our most vulnerable populations. We applaud Representatives Tonko and Fitzpatrick for their bipartisan leadership and look forward to supporting this bill as it advances.”
The Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act would increase access to mental health services for residents of skilled nursing facilities and provide access to the complete set of clinical services that help Medicare beneficiaries cope with medical conditions.
NASW looks forward to working with the bipartisan, bicameral champions of this monumental legislation to build support for its advancement and enactment into law .
More than 300,000 social workers are employed in the fields of health care, mental health care and substance use disorders. In fact, social workers provide more than half of mental health services in the United States.
“Passage of the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health Services Act is critical for our nation and the social work profession,” Estreet said. “It will help Medicare beneficiaries access high-quality mental health services, and it will ensure clinical social workers can provide services within their scope of practice.”
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.