Stark Introduces Medicare Social Work Equity Act

Stark Introduces Medicare Social Work Equity Act
February 9, 1999

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) joined with Rep Jim Leach (R-Iowa) and 21 other members of Congress, introduced a bill today to correct an inequity in the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997. The Medicare Social Work Equity Act of 1999 will ensure that clinical social workers can continue to provide psychotherapy and other professional counseling services in nursing homes.

"Clinical social workers are now the primary providers of mental health services to residents of nursing homes, particularly in undeserved urban and rural areas," Rep. Stark said. "Without corrective legislation, nursing homes will be forced to reduce mental health services to needy seniors. Medicare will also have to pay significantly more for these services."

The 1997 BBA includes the work of social workers in the consolidated billing of a nursing home. Currently, the payment for psychologists and psychiatrists is a completely different system, with payments coming directly from Medicare. In contrast, social workers, are now required to bill through the consolidated and prospective payment systems. The effect is that nursing homes are avoiding social workers and instead turning to the more expensive services of psychologists and psychiatrists.

"Several firms that provide mental health services to nursing homes across the country have already informed me that they will move to cease hiring social workers and replace them with psychiatrists and psychologists," Rep. Stark said. "I do not believe that Congress intended for this to happen. Two problems need fixing. First, psychologists and psychiatrists are far more expensive than social workers. Second, they rarely work in nursing homes. We must fix these problems before seniors are hurt."

The Medicare Social Work Equity Act of 1999 seeks to address these concerns by excluding clinical social workers from the consolidated billing provisions of the 1997 BBA and treating them identically to other mental health providers. The bill has been endorsed by the National Association of Social Workers, the Clinical Social Work Federation, and The American Geriatrics Society.

Golnar Simson, DSW, BCD, and President of the Clinical Social Work Federation stated: "We applaud Congressmen Pete Stark and Jim Leach in their bi-partisan effort to preserve patient access to needed mental health services in nursing homes. Passage of the Medical Social Work Equity Act will ensure the continuity of mental health services provided by clinical social workers to fragile, primarily elderly patients."

A copy of the legislation is available from Rep. Stark's office on request.

Contact: Anne Montgomery

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