Legislative News & Alerts - Archive

Colorado State Capital Breakfast and Art Therapy Exhibit --- April, 2005

Congressional Record Statements

Art Therapists Vital to the Care of Veterans(PDF 48KB), Senate October 7, 2004

Art Therapy for Older Adults(PDF 56KB), House of Representatives, June 14, 2004

Sample Testimonies

Art Therapy Testimony Prepared for IDEA Hearings at Vanderbilt University, June 17th, 2005(MSWord 28KB)

Contact Your Representative Now Regarding Medicare!

The Senate has passed legislation covering counselors under Medicare and your help is needed to get Congressional approval in final budget legislation. On November 3rd, 2005, the Senate included language in its budget reconciliation bill (S. 1932) to establish Medicare reimbursement of mental health services provided by licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. When the House passed its budget it cut these provisions bill (H.R. 4241) on November 18th. Currently, the House budget reconciliation bill does not include the Senate's counselor and marriage and family therapist coverage provision. Please take a few minutes of your time to participate in this legislative alert.

ACTION NEEDED: Call your Representative's office NOW to ask that he/she contact Representative Bill Thomas (chair of the House Ways & Means Committee) and Representative Joe Barton (chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee) to urge them to keep the Senate provision opening up Medicare to licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists in the final budget reconciliation bill approved by Congress. When calling, ask to speak to the Representative's health affairs aide.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: To find the name of your Representative, visit http://www.house.gov/ to search for your state Representative by entering your zip code. The site also includes links to the web sites of Members of Congress that list their local office phone numbers. The U.S. Capitol Switchboard can be reached at (202) 225-3121.

SEND AN E-MAIL TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: Cut and paste the following message into the body of your e-mail:

The Honorable [insert full name]
House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative [insert last name],

As a constituent and mental health professional in [insert state], I'm writing to ask for your assistance in improving access to mental health services to the elderly and disabled in our state. Our older constituents cannot access counseling services because Medicare still does not recognize state-licensed professional mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists as mental health providers. The Senate wants to correct this and has included language in its budget reconciliation bill, recognizing counselors and marriage and family therapists under Medicare. I am asking that you support this language in the House. Please urge Representatives Joe Barton, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Bill Thomas, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, to keep the counselor and marriage and family therapist coverage provision in the final conference report. The provision is included in Section 6119 of the Senate's budget bill, S. 1932. Thanks for your time and consideration.

[If applicable, provide an example of your work with older adults and the benefits of mental health intervention with this age group]

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[your name, title, and credentials]

[your address and contact information]

After sending your message to your Representative, please copy your message to Don Cutcher, AATA Governmental Affairs Committee Chairperson, c/o info@arttherapy.org.