YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyWorkers & JobsMedicare mental health care from a psychologist without a doctor's sign-off, plus a 10 percent bonus for psychologists in short-staffed areas.
Your Money
Five Medicare settings now require a doctor to direct, supervise, or certify the care: rehab centers, nursing homes, day treatment programs, home health, and psychiatric hospitals. A clinical psychologist could fill that role for psychologist services, as far as state law allows. The psychologist would still have to consult the patient's own doctor.
Workers & Jobs
Medicare already pays doctors 10 percent extra for work in areas the government marks as short on health providers. Clinical psychologists would get the same extra pay, starting with 2026. It is paid monthly or quarterly out of the trust fund, not by the patient.
Nursing home rules list which jobs count as licensed health professionals. Clinical psychologists would be added to that list, so a psychologist is not treated as a nurse aide.
More about this bill
Medicare patients could get mental health care from a psychologist without a doctor first signing off. Today a doctor must direct or approve that care in nursing homes, rehab centers, and psychiatric hospitals. The same holds for home health visits and day treatment programs. A clinical psychologist could take that role for their own work, where state law allows it. Psychologists who work where health care is scarce would earn more from Medicare. They would get a bonus of 10 percent on top of the usual payment, starting with 2026. Doctors already get that bonus. The money comes from a Medicare trust fund, so patients would not pay more. Psychologists would still have to talk with the patient's own doctor. The care changes would begin January 1, 2027.
Congressional Summary
Increasing Mental Health Options Act of 2026This bill provides for an additional payment for clinical psychologists under Medicare who provide services in designated health professional shortage areas. It also allows clinical psychologists to provide behavioral health services (in accordance with state law) for purposes of hospitalization services, home health services, and other services under Medicare.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-07-30
- Date Added
- 2026-08-27
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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