January 8, 2023

After more than a decade of working to secure Medicare coverage for counselors’ services, advocates and care recipients around the country are celebrating the passage of the federal Omnibus package and specifically, a provision that expands coverage of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists’ services under Medicare Part B, beginning January 1, 2024.  Put another way, this reform recognizes mental health counselors (MHCs) and marriage and family therapists (MFTs) as covered Medicare providers.  Medicare currently recognizes psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, and psychiatric nurses for outpatient mental health services. Now MHCs and MFTs have been added to the list.  This is just one of many advancements embedded in the The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

For a deep dive look at other important health and behavioral health reforms included in the Omnibus package, see linked document here.