[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 483 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 483

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
   treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of 
 furnishing clinical psychologist services under the Medicare program.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2011

Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mr. Bingaman) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
   treatment of clinical psychologists as physicians for purposes of 
 furnishing clinical psychologist services under the Medicare program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Mental Health Access Act''.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS AS PHYSICIANS FOR PURPOSES 
              OF FURNISHING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--The first sentence of section 1861(r) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' before ``(5)''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period the following: ``, or 
        (6) a clinical psychologist, but only with respect to the 
        furnishing of qualified psychologist services described in 
        subsection (ii) for which the psychologist is legally 
        authorized to perform by the State and who is acting within the 
        scope of the psychologist's license (or other authorization 
        under State law)''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2012.
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