BC BS rescinds the pre-certification requirement for 2010

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois has decided to rescind the pre-certification requirement for 2010.

Thank you to all who wrote to BCBCIL of their concerns. IMHCA and the Illinois Psychological Association both communicated their concerns with BCBS about this change. Numerous IMHCA members and other providers also BCBS asked that there previous decision to require pre-certification be reevaluated. We are pleased to see that they listened.
The full letter is linked on our website
http://www.imhca.org

Carolyn Khan, IMHCA Past President received the IMHCA Distinguished Service Award for all of her efforts with IMHCA and other organizations. The award was presented by Suzi Harris (right) IMHCA Board member and Awards Chairperson.

New IMHCA Members getting pinned.













Abe Lincoln celebrated his 200th Birthday with us.












Student members of ICA











Pat McGinn and her ICA "recruits"

Health Care Legislation Passed the House. Now we need to get it passed in the Senate!

We did it! Health Care Legislation INCLUDING LCPCs billing Medicare passes US House.

NOW WE NEED TO GET IT PASSED IN THE SENATE!

Late Saturday, November 7^th, the House of Representatives passed an historic health insurance reform bill—H.R. 3962, the “Affordable Health Care for America Act”—including language establishing Medicare coverage of licensed professional counselors for the provision of medically-necessary outpatient mental health services. The Medicare coverage provision, which also applies to marriage and family therapists, is included in Section 1308 of the bill. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 3962 would reduce the federal deficit by $109 billion over the next ten years, and would expand coverage to 96% of Americans. The legislation was passed by a vote of 220-215.

CICO/ICA/ACA/AMHCA applauds the House of Representatives for passing this legislation. We have long sought to establish Medicare coverage of counselors’ services, and has consistently supported expanding health insurance coverage. Counselors can identify their Representative at the House of Representatives website at http://www.house.gov. A listing of how members voted is available here.

The Senate is working toward a vote on health insurance legislation. Unfortunately, the legislation approved by the Senate Finance Committee does not include Medicare coverage of counselors.

Counselors are encouraged to contact Sen. Durbin to remind him that the Senate approved Medicare coverage of counselors in both 2003 and 2005, and ask them to work to include the counselor coverage language as part of health care legislation this year. Medicare beneficiaries need better access to outpatient mental health services, and deserve the same choice of provider currently enjoyed by those with private health insurance. Constituent contacts are likely to make the difference between success and failure on this issue!

*****As a constituent of Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, you may just be the key to getting inclusion of Medicare reimbursement into the Senate’s health care reform bill…..*******

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE-

REACH OUT TO SENATOR DICK DURBIN and ask for inclusion of S. 671 in the Senate health care reform bill.

Sen. Durbin is a sponsor of S. 671

S. 671, introduced by Senator Lincoln, did not make it into the Senate’s health care bill. It won’t be offered as a floor amendment. The one way to get into the bill is through a Manager’s Amendment. Senate Leadership, which includes Senator Durbin as Assistant Majority Leader/ Majority Whip, determines what gets offered as a Manager’s Amendment. Let Senator Durbin know how inclusion of Licensed Mental Health Counselors/Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs) will improve the Medicare program for Illinois’s seniors by availing Illinois’s seniors of mental health access, in many areas that currently lack social workers and psychologists, providers currently eligible to provide “medically necessary” outpatient psychotherapy services to Medicare beneficiaries.

As an Illinois constituent, you must let Senator Durbin know S. 671’s companion legislation in the House, H.R. 1693 sponsored by Rep. Gordon of Tennessee, has been included in Section 1308 of the House’s health care bill, H.R. 3962. Medicare eligibility for licensed mental health counselors MUST be included in the Senate bill.

Your emails and/or calls to Senator Durbin’s office should include the following:

“Hello, my name is __________________, and I am a resident of _______________, Illinois. I’d like to speak with Senator Durbin’s Health Legislative Assistant about a Medicare provision that expands Medicare beneficiaries’ access to mental health care, particularly in my Illinois town, and consequently, reduces Medicare costs for later inpatient mental health services and chronic physical illnesses stemming from lack of preventive outpatient mental health care. As a licensed mental health counselor/licensed professional counselor with many Medicare beneficiaries in need of my outpatient mental health services, I’d like to ask Senator Durbin to include S. 671, by use of a Manager’s Amendment, in the Senate’s health care reform legislation. This Medicare reimbursement provision for mental health counselors was scored by the Congressional Budget Office to cost very little relative to numerous other provisions in the health care reform bills: $400 million over 10 years and $200 million over 5 years. A great share of counselors in Illinois practice in areas underserved by currently eligible Medicare outpatient providers, licensed clinical social workers and licensed clinical psychologists. Inclusion of the S. 671 provision promises expanded access to highly trained minimum Master’s level mental health professionals for many Medicare beneficiaries currently unable to access much needed mental health services. S. 671’s companion bill H.R. 1693 was included in Section 1308 of the House’s health care bill passed this past Saturday. Please see that this provision makes it into the Senate bill. Thank you for your time, ___________, and for relaying my message to Senator Durbin.”

· To be able to email Senator Durbin, go to the following link, http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm, and write an email about inclusion of S. 671 in the Senate’s final health care bill.

Call Senator Durbin’s DC Office at (202)-224-2152 and ask to speak with his Health Legislative Assistant about inclusion of S. 671 in a Manager’s Amendment to the Senate health care bill.

Also, call the District Office located closest to you at the following numbers to relay this important message about including Medicare eligibility/reimbursement for Licensed Mental Health Counselors/Licensed Professional Counselors in the Senate’s health care reform bill.

CHICAGO 230 S Dearborn St. Suite 3892 Chicago, IL 60604 8:30 am to 5 pm (312) 353-4952 - ph	SPRINGFIELD 525 South 8th St. Springfield, IL 62703 8:30 am to 5 pm (217) 492-4062 – ph	MARION 701 N. Court St. Marion, IL 62959 8:30 am to 5 pm (618) 998-8812 - ph

Dick Durbin ICA Legislator of the Year award: Letter

November 4, 2009

Senator Richard Durbin

230 S. Dearborn, Suite 3892

Chicago, IL 60604

The Honorable Richard Durbin,

I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to receive the Illinois Counseling Association’s McGinn / Clark Award for Outstanding Illinois Legislator Award for 2009.

This award was established in 1996 to recognize the Illinois Legislator who contributes the most to advocacy, public policy, and legislative recognition for professional counselors and clients in Illinois. The award is named for two women who have been consistently active in local, state, and national levels for professional counselors in public policy and legislation. Pat McGinn is a former Executive Director of IMHCA and CICO, and Joyce Clark is a former IAMC President and Chair of the ICA Public Policy and Legislation Committee. The nomination is open to any current or former legislator in Illinois, regardless of political party affiliation.

Criteria:

1. Advocacy for professional counselors and clients.

2. Legislation sponsored to benefit professional counselors and clients.

3. Public policy leadership for professional counselors and clients.

4. Knowledge of and support for professional counselors and clients.

Your selection for this award was based upon the following:

Senator Durbin, you have been an outstanding advocate for Illinois counselors. You have been a champion of improved mental health care and greater accessibility of mental health care.

Senator Durbin is one of the co-sponsors of : S.671
Title: A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under part B of the Medicare program, and for other purposes.

Most recently at a meeting in Chicago, you pushed for Federal Funding to Combat Youth Violence. Additionally you introduced a new bill that would improve mental health services on college campuses.

Your continued support of the mental health profession and counselors has been noteworthy.

Thank you for your work on behalf of the counseling profession.

Sincerely,

Daniel Stasi

Executive Director

California Licensure Bill signed by Gov.

California is Final State to License Mental Health Counselors

Alexandria , VA – October 12, 2009 – With today’s signing of California Senate Bill 788 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, mental health counselors are now licensed as master’s degreed mental health professionals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia .

"Achieving licensure in every state is a tremendous victory, both for mental health counselors and for those seeking their services," said AMHCA president Linda Barclay, PhD, LPCC/S, LICDC, NCC.

AMHCA recognizes the efforts of the California Coalition for Counseling Licensure (CCCL), which worked actively for licensure of mental health counselors, to be known in California as licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCCs). AMHCA assisted the CCCL in its lobbying efforts, producing letters in support of SB 788 to Assembly and Senate Business and Professions Committee chairs and members.

"AMHCA deeply appreciates the hard work of CCCL in this historic achievement," said Mark Hamilton, PhD, AMHCA executive director and CEO.

Governor Schwarzenegger will appoint two LPCCs to the Board of Behavioral Sciences, which is already comprised of two licensed clinical social workers, a licensed educational psychologist, and two licensed marriage and family therapists. SB 788 defines "professional clinical counseling" as being focused exclusively on the application of counseling interventions and psychotherapeutic techniques for the purposes of improving mental health. Under SB 788, the LPCC profession does not include the assessment or treatment of couples or families unless the LPCC has completed additional training and education beyond the minimum education and training required for LPCC licensure.

The law will go into effect on January 1, 2010. At that point, the Board of Behavioral Sciences will have the responsibility for developing the rules and regulations to implement the bill and it will prepare to accept LPCC applications.

Applications for grandparenting and reciprocity will be available on January 1, 2011, through the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Applications for regular licensure will be available on January 1, 2012, for those not eligible for grandparenting or reciprocity. Click here to learn about requirements.

BCBS AND MAGELLAN UPDATE

The following is a copy of an email from Stephanie Knispel, the president of Medicius a billing service.

BCBS AND MAGELLAN

We have acquired more detailed information regarding the recent letter from BCBS and the change that will take place with Magellan January, 1, 2010.

The change is not going to effect all BCBS PPO policies. Patients whose policies currently carve out to Magellan for inpatient psychiatric visits will also carve out to Magellan for outpatient mental health visits when this change takes place. BCBS PPO policies that do not require an authorization from Magellan for inpatient will stay the same in 2010 and will not carve out to Magellan.

According to the information that we received the reimbursement rate will remain at the BCBS level.

At this time there is no requirement to be paneled with Magellan to receive reimbursement on these policies, but with all of the changes that are taking place we suggest that you become in-network with Magellan if you are currently out of network so that no additional issues in reimbursement will arise.

For those of you that are current clients of Medicus we will be adding inpatient benefit levels to the verifications that are sent to you. This is going to let us know which policies require a Magellan authorization for inpatient so that we are fully prepared to get outpatient authorization for the policies in which it is required at the first of the year.

This is all preliminary information and may or may not change from now until January, but we will update you on any new developments as they are received.

Please feel free to forward this to any provider that is concerned about the change. We are available to take any calls from providers that have questions regardless if they are current clients. We hope this gave a bit more clarity to the change taking place. Have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,

Stephanie M. Knispel
President
sknispel@medicusoutsourcing.com
MEDICUS Consulting & Outsourcing, Inc.
15436 Lamon Ave
Oak Forest, IL 60452
Phone:(708) 535-7347
Fax: (708) 535-7396
Cell: (708) 704-0172
http://medicusoutsourcing.