Watch the Latest Medicare Webinar on ‘ Enrollment to Payment ’

Effective Jan . 1 , Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors ( LCMHCs ) became Medicare providers . To get the lowdown on what ’ s involved in being a Medicare provider , check out the free webinar on “ The Role of Medicare Administrative Contractors : Enrollment to Payment ,” which aired on Feb . 1 , 2024 .

Free to watch , the hour-long program will help you understand how Medicare Administrative Contractors ( MACs ) interact with mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists .

MACs are private health-care insurers that have been awarded a multistate regional jurisdiction to process Medicare Part A and Part B medical and mental health care claims for Medicare fee-forservice beneficiaries . The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ) relies on MACs to serve as the primary operational contact between the Medicare program and enrolled mental health and medical care providers . Currently , 16 MACs process Medicare fee-for-service claims for nearly 35 million Medicare beneficiaries .

After this webinar , attendees will be able to :

• Explain the work of MACs on

Link to video / screenshot : https :// youtu . be / 4 _ 3gOeW7u9c

Medicare enrollment , claims processing , payment , and other procedures .

• Identify specific lessons for mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists .

• Explain other MAC services .

• Identify available resources to educate and help Medicareenrolled providers .

The webinar is sponsored by NBCC ( the National Board for Certified Counselors ) and the Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition , in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ) and AMHCA .

Download the PowerPoint here , or click on the video screenshot above to play the webinar . Check out the other webinars in the Medicare Webinar Series . Each webinar comes with a series of slides from the video that are also available to download :

• Medicare 101 : An Introduction to the Medicare Program and Coverage of Counselors and MFTs ( from April 21 , 2023 )

• Medicare 201 : The Implementation of Medicare Part B Coverage of Counselors and MFTs ( from May 5 , 2023 )

• Medicare 301 : Navigating the Medicare Provider Enrollment Process and Physician Fee Schedule : A Primer for Counselors and MFTs ( from June 29 , 2023 )

• Medicare 401 : Assessing the Essential Features of the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule and Implications for Counselors and MFTs ( from Aug . 17 , 2023 )

• Medicare 501 : New Engagement Opportunities for Community Behavioral Health Centers With Counselors and MFTs Under Medicare ( from Oct . 5 , 2023 )

• Medicare 601 : The Enrollment Process for Counselors and MFTs ( from Nov . 17 , 2023 )

AMHCA Spring Elections : Consider Running for One of Five Open Board Positions

The open board positions are president-elect , North Atlantic Region director , Southern Region director , secretary , and parliamentarian . Each is a three-year term , with the president-elect serving a year as president-elect , a year as president , and a year as past president .

• Applications Available : March 22

• Application Deadline : April 22

• Voting Opens : April 29

• “ Meet the Candidate Forum ” ( Zoom ): April 30 at 7 PM — Register here .

• Voting Ends : May 29

• Announcement of Election Results : June 11 – 12

Please send all inquiries or questions to nominations @ amhca . org .

6 The Advocate Magazine 2023 , Issue # 32 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org