WASHINGTON – Following is the statement of Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association, regarding the introduction of legislation that would improve access to psychological treatment for Medicare beneficiaries:
“It’s clear that Medicare beneficiaries need better access to mental health treatment, and specifically to the full set of services provided by psychologists,” Evans said. “Seniors are being hit hard by the ongoing opioid crisis, by chronic pain, by depression and by dementia. In all of these cases and others, psychological interventions are underused, and Medicare’s outdated restriction on access to psychological services is a big reason why. The Medicare Mental Health Access Act will fix that problem.”
The bill, H.R. 884, was introduced in the House by Reps. Judy Chu, D-Calif.; Jason Smith, R-Mo.; Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.; and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Jan. 30. Their backing means the bill has bipartisan support in both House committees with jurisdiction over Medicare policy.
H.R. 884 would include clinical psychologists in the statutory definition of a physician, joining dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and podiatrists, all of whom have been included in the definition for decades. This change would allow psychologists to see Medicare beneficiaries independently in all covered treatment settings. Medicare is the only health care payer that continues to require physician oversight, supervision or prior authorization of psychological services in outpatient rehabilitation facilities, partial hospitalization programs and other treatment settings outside of a psychologist’s own office. Veterans, military families and Americans with private health insurance do not face these barriers to psychological services.
“We applaud Representatives Chu, Smith, Schakowsky and Mullin for their bipartisan leadership in working to remove an unnecessary barrier to psychological services,” Evans said.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.