The ADAPT Act expands access to mental health services by allowing psychology trainees to provide therapy and counseling services to people covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program). Right now, only fully licensed psychologists can bill insurance for these services, which limits how many people can get mental health care.

Under this bill, two types of trainees would be allowed to provide services: doctoral interns (people in their final year of psychology graduate school) and postdoctoral residents (people who have their psychology degree but are still training to get licensed). These trainees would work under the general supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist, meaning the supervising psychologist oversees their work but doesn't have to be physically present during each session. The supervising psychologist would handle the billing.

The bill gives the federal government one year to create a special billing code so insurance companies can properly track and pay for services provided by these trainees. It also requires the government to give states guidance on how to cover these trainee services through Medicaid and CHIP, including suggestions for legal ways to do it and examples of states that have already made this work. The changes would take effect one year after the law passes. Essentially, this opens up more mental health care slots by letting trainees provide services under supervision, which could help address the shortage of mental health providers.

ADAPT Act

Balderson, Troy

Accelerating the Development of Advanced Psychology Trainees Act or the ADAPT ActThis bill provides for Medicare coverage of services that are furnished by advanced psychology trainees. It also requires the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to issue guidance for states on coverage options for such services under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).