Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4185
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-26: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-25T08:05:51Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends Medicare law to expand the scope of services that clinical social workers can provide and bill for under the program, aiming to integrate these professionals more fully into various health care settings.
Key Provisions
- The bill revises the definition of "clinical social worker services" in Section 1861(hh)(2) of the Social Security Act.
- It adds language to include "services and supplies furnished as an incident to such services."
- It removes the existing restriction limiting services to "the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses."
- The changes apply to services furnished on or after December 1, 2025.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Current law restricts Medicare coverage of clinical social worker services to mental health diagnosis and treatment. This bill broadens the definition to cover a wider range of services without that limitation and explicitly includes related supplies and incident-to services.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would update billing and reimbursement rules to reflect the expanded definition.
- Citizens: Medicare beneficiaries may gain access to additional services from clinical social workers in settings such as hospitals, clinics, or primary care.
- International relations: None identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Clinical social workers who provide services under Medicare.
- Medicare beneficiaries seeking non-mental-health support.
- Health care providers and facilities that employ or refer to social workers.
- Medicare program administrators responsible for payment policies.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill makes a targeted statutory change to the Social Security Act affecting Medicare reimbursement. No constitutional issues are raised in the text, and the measure focuses solely on domestic health care policy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-26: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-06-26: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-06-26: Introduced in House
- 2025-06-26: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act — issued 2025-06-26 — PDF (2 pages)