Call to Action – Mental Health Access Improvement Act

Hello IMHCA members! We have a national call to action. It is a lame duck session which is a post-election legislative session where the participants are voting during their last days as elected officials. In the U.S. a lame duck session of Congress is one that takes place after the election for the next Congress has been held, but before the current Congress has reached the end of its constitutional term. This is a great opportunity to get national attention on a continued issue not being able to bill Medicare for LMFTs and LMHCs in the state. Here is the message for AMHCA below. Please participate with us in the next couple of weeks before Congress breaks for the holidays!

Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S.828/H.R. 432)

Contact Congressional Leaders

Although we have asked you on several occasions this year to reach out to members of Congress on our Medicare bill, it is critically important that we maintain a steady flow of messages over the next few weeks when key congressional non-defense spending decisions will be made.

It is the view of several lobbyists that the best chance for passage of our Medicare bill is during this current lame-duck session of Congress.

If our bill does not pass in this congressional session, we would need to begin the process anew in 2023 with a divided Congress, where it could be difficult to pass significant mental health legislation.

MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS IMPROVEMENT ACT (S.828/H.R. 432)

Please contact the following Congressional Leaders:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
- Phone: (202) 224-6542
- Email: E-mail Chuck (senate.gov)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
- Phone: (202) 224-2541
- Email: Contact Form – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (senate.gov)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Phone (202) 225-4965
- Email (No email listed due to the high number of emails she receives. You need to be in her district to email.)
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal
- Phone: (202) 225-5601
- Email: Contact | U.S. Representative Richard Neal (house.gov)
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone
- Phone: (202) 225-4671
- Email: Write Your Rep | Congressman Frank Pallone (house.gov)

The key message to Congressional leaders:

Please include S. 828/HR 432 in the final OMNIBUS federal budget and spending package in order to address ongoing mental health access issues that older Americans are experiencing.

You Can Support the Profession

Over the past decade we, along with partner organizations have advocated for the successful passage of this bill. The bill has passed in both the House and Senate previously, however it has never happened at the same time. This is the first congressional session where passage of this bill in both chambers of Congress is realistic. Please help us! On reason this is so important to me is… (fill in your own experience)

The Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 828/H.R.432) would close the gap in federal law that prevents MHCs/LPCs and LMFTs from being recognized as Medicare providers. The legislation would give Medicare beneficiaries immediate access to over more than 225,000 additional licensed mental health professionals and help close the widening treatment gap.