The Advocate Magazine 2022 Issue 1 | Page 8

INSIDE AMHCA

AMHCA ’ s Participation in a Virtual Advocacy Day Helps Generate Support for Medicare and Mental Health Bills
The Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition organized a social media campaign to bolster Congressional support for inclusion of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act ( S . 828 ) in the Reconciliation Legislation .
AMHCA urged members to participate in two recent Virtual Advocacy Days — April 21 and Feb . 16 — by contacting their Senators via social media posts , phone , and email to ask them to support the legislation , which would provide Medicare coverage for mental health counselor services and marriage and family therapist services .
For more information , visit AMHCA ’ s Medicare advocacy page at www . amhca . org / advocacy / medicare .
Following is a sample of the Twitter and Facebook posts generated by the Feb . 16 Virtual Advocacy Day . See more Twitter posts at bit . ly / 36u7HuO and Facebook posts at bit . ly / 36rY93r .
Xóchi Kountz February 16
Over 200,000 marriage and family therapists and licensed mental health counselors across the country are specifically trained to address mental health and substance abuse , including opioid addiction – but are not approved Medicare provider thereby limiting access to need services .
The Mental Health Access Improvement Act ( S . 828 / H . R . 432 ) would expand the availability of cost-effective providers under Medicare to help treat these seniors and address mental health crisis and t …
Lisa Karen February 20
FACEBOOK POSTS
Medicare and elderly and therapy . Pull quote : “ STOP TRYING TO SAVE MONEY BY DENYING ELDERLY WIDOWS ACCESS TO THE GRIEF COUNSELING THEY ’ RE ENTITLED TO BY LAW OH MY GOD .”
And that is why I am posting this in my support of bipartisan Senate bill 828 , the Mental Health Access Improvement Act , which will recognize LMHCs and LMFTs for Medicare .”…
TWITTER POSTS
PA Counseling @ PA _ Counseling March 27
Equitable access to Medicare services is a challenge for many vulnerable individuals across Pennsylvania . The extremity of the workforce shortage of MH and addiction professionals are hitting them the hardest . Encourage your representatives to support S828
# MedicareMentalHealth
Marymount University Counseling Programs @ mmcounselingprg Feb 17
Unfortunately , there ’ s a shortage of mental health and substance abuse providers in the Medicare system to help these older adults who are at risk . See a sample call sheet for when you contact your Senator https :// amhca . org / advocacy / medicare …
# MedicareMentalHealth # SeniorsMentalHealth
Robbin Miller @ RobbinMiller2 Feb 17 @ RepMcGovern
I ’ m a constituent from Shrewsbury , MA and studies show that millions of Medicare beneficiaries are suffering from mental health disorders due to the pandemic . We need more mental health counselors to help treat Seniors .
# MedicareMentalHealth !
Reggie Taylor @ Reggie _ Taylor Feb 1 @ SenRickScott and @ SenRubioPress
I ’ m a constituent from Jacksonville . There ’ s a drastic shortage of mental health and addiction providers that can accept Medicare . Please co-sponsor S . 828 / H . R . 432 .
# SeniorMentalHealth # MedicareMentalHealth
8 The Advocate Magazine 2022 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org