ADAPT Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2356
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-17: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4459)
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-13T11:03:28Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The ADAPT Act aims to increase access to psychological, mental, and behavioral health services for beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by allowing reimbursement for services provided by supervised advanced psychology trainees. This helps address shortages in mental health providers while supporting the training of future psychologists.
Key Provisions
- Medicare Coverage (Section 2):
- Amends the Social Security Act to include services furnished by "advanced psychology trainees" under the general supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist.
- Defines an "advanced psychology trainee" as:
- A doctoral intern in an accredited program (at least one year) before earning a doctoral degree, or
- A postdoctoral resident with a psychology doctorate completing 1-2 years of supervised training for licensure through accredited programs.
- "General supervision" means the supervising psychologist provides overall direction but does not need to be present during the service.
- Services must be billed by the supervising psychologist.
- Effective date: Applies to services starting one year after enactment.
- Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a "GC" modifier code within one year for accurate billing of these services.
- Guidance for Medicaid and CHIP (Section 3):
- HHS must issue guidance to states within one year of enactment on overcoming barriers to covering these trainee services.
- Guidance includes:
- Legal ways to enable coverage (e.g., state laws or program rules).
- Recommended billing codes and modifiers.
- Examples of states using waivers (temporary exceptions to federal rules) under Medicaid or CHIP to allow such coverage.
- Provides technical assistance and best practices to states.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands Medicare's definition of covered psychological services (under Section 1861(ii) of the Social Security Act) to explicitly include those provided by supervised trainees, which were previously not reimbursable.
- Introduces new definitions for "advanced psychology trainee" and "general supervision" in Medicare law.
- Does not mandate changes to Medicaid or CHIP but encourages them through non-binding guidance, potentially leading states to adopt similar coverage via waivers or state-specific adjustments.
- Adds a specific billing modifier (GC code) to distinguish trainee services, improving tracking and reimbursement accuracy.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: HHS will need to develop codes and guidance, increasing administrative workload but potentially reducing long-term costs by expanding the mental health workforce. States may face decisions on adopting coverage, affecting their Medicaid/CHIP budgets.
- On Citizens: Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries (including low-income families and children) gain better access to affordable mental health services, potentially reducing wait times and improving care quality. Psychology trainees benefit from practical experience and faster entry into the workforce.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. health programs.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Beneficiaries: Medicare enrollees (mostly seniors and disabled), Medicaid/CHIP recipients (low-income individuals and children) seeking mental health support.
- Healthcare Providers: Supervising clinical psychologists, advanced psychology trainees (interns and residents), and mental health facilities involved in accredited training programs.
- Government Entities: HHS (for implementation and guidance), state Medicaid/CHIP agencies (for optional adoption), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for oversight.
- Professional Organizations: Groups like the American Psychological Association, which accredit training programs and advocate for workforce expansion.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens federal support for mental health parity (equal treatment of mental and physical health services) by integrating trainees into reimbursement systems, but relies on state cooperation for Medicaid/CHIP without overriding state authority. Waivers allow flexibility under existing federal law.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; aligns with Congress's spending power under the Constitution to regulate interstate commerce and fund social programs like Medicare.
- Political: Addresses bipartisan concerns about mental health access and workforce shortages (introduced by Senators Barrasso and Bennet). Could influence future health policy by modeling reimbursement for trainees in other fields, potentially sparking debates on federal vs. state control over healthcare funding.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO], Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-17: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4459)
- 2025-07-17: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Accelerating the Development of Advanced Psychology Trainees Act — issued 2025-07-17 — PDF (5 pages)