Grassroots Action Center
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a 2.8% reduction in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Conversion Factor, effective Jan. 1, 2025. This cut, unless Congress intervenes, threatens the sustainability of all Medicare providers, including mental health counselors, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and compromises patient access to essential mental health care.
We need your voice to make an impact. This reduction marks the fifth consecutive year of proposed cuts, which have caused long-term financial strain on providers and have forced clinical practices to impose hiring fees and even reduce services to patients. Behavioral health professionals in particular are experiencing unsustainable levels of burnout driven by student loan debt, high caseloads, and inadequate reimbursement.
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) urges you to send a letter to your congressional representatives today asking them to take action against this proposed cut by cosponsoring H.R. 10073, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2024. This bill offsets the proposed reduction to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Conversion Factor, while providing for a partial inflation adjustment based on 50% of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), projected to rise by 3.6% in 2025.
Take Action Now: Send a message to Congress urging them to protect Medicare payment rates and ensure mental health counselors have the resources needed to support their communities effectively.
