[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2597 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2597

    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

                           February 25, 2016

Mr. Brown (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

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                                 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) Application of Meaningful Use Payments to Clinical 
Psychologists.--For purposes of section 1848(a)(7) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(a)(7)), for 2017 and 2018, with respect 
to clinical psychologists, the term ``applicable percent'' means 100 
percent.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2017.
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