“A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include peer support services at certain facilities under the Medicare program.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section includes peer support services (as defined in new SSA §1861(nnn)) as a Medicare Part B benefit when furnished by (1) community mental health centers, (2) rural health clinics or federally qualified health centers by a peer support specialist (as defined in SSA §1861(nnn)(2)), effective January 1, 2027. Peer support services are emotional, informational, instrumental, and social/community support services furnished by a certified peer support specialist—who is recovering from a mental health or substance use condition—to individuals diagnosed with such conditions to promote recovery, community integration, self-empowerment, and self-determination. The section also modifies the general Medicare exclusion for items/services not reasonable/necessary to permit coverage of peer support services only if furnished by a rural health clinic, federally qualified health center, community mental health center, or certified community behavioral health clinic. (Thus, peer support services furnished outside these facilities remain non-covered.)