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Don't let Congress abandon America's senior citizens!

By Joel Miller posted 05-15-2018 11:58

  

AMHCA Is Partnering with AAMFT, ABHW, ACA, CAMFT, and NCBH to Provide Medicare Coverage for Licensed Mental Health Counselors

As you know, our country is experiencing a terrible crisis as thousands of Americans have become addicted to opioids. Congress is drafting legislation to combat this epidemic, but as they move this legislation forward, they have failed to fully protect Medicare beneficiaries.

None of the legislation currently considered by key Congressional Committees would allow Medicare beneficiaries to seek treatment from Licensed Mental Health Counselors or Marriage and Family therapists for their addiction!

One of the fastest growing segments of the population becoming addicted to opioids are Medicare beneficiaries. By leaving out LMHCs or MFTs, Congress is denying Medicare patients access to 40% of the behavioral health workforce!

We are in a crisis, and we need every available mental health practitioner to be mobilized and accessible to everyone suffering from this horrible addiction. That’s’ why Congress must include H.R. 3032/S. 1879 in any legislative package they pass. H.R. 3032/S. 1879 authorizes LMHCs and MFTs to serve as Medicare providers. It’s a common-sense bill which can help many Americans in their time of need.

Contact your Member of Congress today in the House of Representatives (using the link below) who represents your district, and demand they include H.R. 3032 in any opioid package!

https://www.house.gov/representatives#by-state

Sample Script

Dear Senator or Representative:

I am calling (or writing) to request you include H.R. 3032 in any legislative package to address the opioid crises.

H.R. 3032 authorizes Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) and to serve Medicare beneficiaries. Both LMHCs and MFTs have the training necessary to treat those suffering from addiction. With Medicare currently paying for one-third of all opioid-related hospitalizations, we cannot afford to exclude these two professions from the fight. LMHCs and MFTs constitute 40% of the mental health workforce in our country. Sometimes they are the only available addictions’ therapists available in certain parts of the country.

In combating this epidemic, we must make every provider available to those suffering from addiction. By including H.R. 3032 in any legislative package passed by Congress, you can ensure we are doing just that.

By allowing senior’s access to all addictions counselors, you can create the best solution to this epidemic.


#AdvocacyUpdates #Advocacy #Medicare

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