What's happening
This bill makes services provided by licensed clinical social workers eligible for Medicaid coverage in New York.
Why it matters
Expands mental health access. By making licensed clinical social workers' (LCSWs) services eligible for Medicaid, the bill could significantly increase access to mental health care for low-income individuals who rely on Medicaid.
Addresses workforce shortages. LCSWs are a large segment of behavioral health providers; including them allows Medicaid patients to see more providers, potentially reducing wait times and easing pressure on overburdened psychiatrists and psychologists.
Improves continuity and flexibility of care. Many patients already see LCSWs for counseling or therapy, but couldn't use Medicaid to pay for those services before. The bill allows patients to maintain therapeutic relationships without worrying about insurance coverage gaps.
May have budget and cost implications. Expanding Medicaid coverage to include LCSW services could increase utilization and costs in the short term, but may also save money in the long term by addressing behavioral health issues earlier and more effectively.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cover Social Worker Care
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Vetoed memo.149
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.426
- Substituted for A8104
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–1
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1110
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Cover Social Workers Under Medicaid
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Harry B. Bronson
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5960
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to making care and services provided by licensed clinical social workers eligible for coverage under the Medicaid program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 365-a of the social services law is amended by adding a new paragraph (gg) to read as follows:
(gg) care and services provided by clinical social workers licensed pursuant to article one hundred fifty-four of the education law acting within their scope of practice, where such services would otherwise be covered under this title.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11665-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to making care and services provided by licensed clinical social workers eligible for coverage under the Medicaid program
Purpose
Makes care and services provided by licensed clinical social workers eligible for coverage under Medicaid.
Summary of provisions
Amends Subdivision 2 of section 365-a of the social services law to clinical social workers licensed pursuant to Article 154 of the Educa- tion law to bill Medicaid directly for their services within their scope of practice.
Justification
This bill would allow Licensed Clinical Social Workers to directly bill Medicaid for their services. Licensed Clinical Social Workers represent the largest group of mental health practitioners in the nation. They are often the first to diagnose and treat people with mental disorders and various emotional and behavioral disturbances. Clinical Social Workers are essential to a variety of client-centered settings, including commu- nity mental health centers, hospitals, substance use treatment and recovery programs, schools, primary health care centers, child welfare agencies, aging services, employee assistance programs, and private practice settings.
Licensed Clinical Social Work has a primary focus on the emotional, and mental health of individuals, couples, families, and groups and by defi- nition, includes the scope of practice of the LMSW, diagnosis of mental, emotional, behavioral, addictive and developmental disorders and disa- bilities, the development and implementation of appropriate assessment- based treatment plans; and the provision of crisis oriented psychothera- py, including brief, short-term and long-term psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic treatment. in addition, given their unique training, LCSW's are the only licensed mental health professionals that assess the person-in-environment, a practice-guiding principle that highlights the importance of understanding an individual and individual behavior in light of the environmental contexts in which that person lives and acts (family finances, connections, living situation, religion, employment, etc.,) Further, Article 163 of the Education Law authorizes a qualified LCSW to practice mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, creative arts therapy or psychoanalysis. Given the breadth of the above, clearly, LCSW's are a vital component of the community mental health system and as such, should have authorization to directly bill Medicaid for their services, thus broadening access to crucial mental health services.
Legislative history
2019 Session - new bill
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
90th day after becoming law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.