WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators led by Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) has introduced legislation that aims to improve mental health care treatment for America’s seniors, particularly those living in underserved, rural areas.
“Mental illness is often unrecognized and untreated in older adults,” Senator Lincoln said. “Further, older adults diagnosed with chronic conditions and major depression have a significantly higher rate of disability than those with either condition alone. Right now seniors living in rural areas face challenges finding mental health care professionals in their communities. Improving access to providers will allow these individuals to receive the treatment they need and deserve.”
“Medicare patients living in states like Wyoming need and deserve access to more mental health services,” Senator Barrasso said. Over half of all rural counties across the country have no mental health services of any kind. Almost the entire state of Wyoming is designated as a mental health professional shortage area. Enacting our legislation will more than double the number of mental health providers available to treat Medicare patients in Wyoming. Folks in small towns travel long distances to receive care. Additional practitioners should bring help a little closer to home.”
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that two million older Americans suffer from depression, the most commonly associated condition with suicide. Older Americans in 2004 represented only 12 percent of the population but accounted for 16 percent of suicide deaths. Recent passage of mental health parity legislation will decrease coverage barriers to treatment, however access to and choice of mental health professionals remains problematic. This is especially true for the 77 million older adults living in Mental Health-Health Professional Shortage Areas. Over 50 percent of rural counties have no practicing psychologists, psychiatrists, or social workers, and two-thirds of rural residents with mental illness symptoms receive no treatment at all.
The Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 671) would increase access to and choice of mental health providers for Medicare beneficiaries by tapping an existing workforce: marriage and family therapists and licensed professional mental health counselors. Marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors are licensed by states to provide covered mental health services, have similar qualifications to existing Medicare providers, and currently provide services through private health insurance and Medicaid.
The bipartisan bill would provide Medicare Part B coverage for marriage and family therapist and mental health counselor services. It specifically includes availability of these services in rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and hospice programs.
The Senators noted that their bill would not expand Medicare services. It would simply help older adults needing mental health treatment, particularly those living in underserved areas, to have improved access to and choice of providers. Further, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors would receive 75 percent of the psychiatrist and psychologist rate for the same covered services, so the cost would offer strong value to the Medicare program.
Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are original cosponsors of the Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act. The legislation has broad organizational support including the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Counseling Association, the American Mental Health Counselors Association, and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.