THE MEDICARE SOCIAL WORK EQUITY ACT -- HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK (Extensions of Remarks - February 09, 1999)

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HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1999

Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I join with Representative LEACH (R-Iowa) and 22 of our colleagues to introduce the Medicare Social Work Equity Act of 1999 to ensure that clinical social workers can continue to receive reimbursement under Part B of Medicare.

Due to changes in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, clinical social workers can no longer bill Medicare under Part B for counseling and other professional mental health services. Under current law, clinical social workers must now seek reimbursement under the consolidated payment system. Unfortunately, the prospective payment system was not designed to cover ancillary services such as psychotherapy.

If Congress does not amend the laws to allow separate billing for psychotherapy service, clinical social workers will not be able to provide much-needed mental health services to long-term care facility residents. Doing so will needlessly harm seniors because clinical social workers have the professional training and expertise to work with seniors as do psychologists and psychiatrists.

If we fail to fix this problem, Medicate will pay more. The services of psychologists and psychiatrists cost more than the services of a clinical social worker. Currently, clinical social workers receive from Medicare only 75% of what would be paid to a psychologist or psychiatrist. In addition, many skilled nursing facilities operate in communities where psychologists and psychiatrists are not available to treat seniors in skilled nursing facilities.