Improving CARE for Youth Act

Improving Coordination and Access to Resources Equitably for Youth Act or the Improving CARE for Youth Act

This bill prohibits state Medicaid programs from denying coverage for primary care and mental health services that are furnished on the same day at the same office, clinic, or other outpatient facility. 

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2556 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2556

   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure Medicaid 
coverage of mental health services and primary care services furnished 
                            on the same day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2023

Mr. Carper (for himself and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure Medicaid 
coverage of mental health services and primary care services furnished 
                            on the same day.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Coordination and Access to 
Resources Equitably for Youth Act'' or the ``Improving CARE for Youth 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MEDICAID COVERAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND PRIMARY CARE 
              SERVICES FURNISHED ON THE SAME DAY.

    (a) In General.--Section 1902(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (86), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (87), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (87) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(88) not prohibit payment under the plan for a mental 
        health service or primary care service furnished to an 
        individual for which payment would otherwise be payable under 
        the plan, with respect to such individual, if such service were 
        not a same-day qualifying service (as defined in subsection 
        (uu)).''.
    (b) Same-Day Qualifying Services Defined.--Section 1902 of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
    ``(uu) Same-Day Qualifying Services Defined.--For purposes of 
subsection (a)(88), the term `same-day qualifying service' means--
            ``(1) a primary care service furnished to an individual by 
        a provider at an office, clinic, or other outpatient facility 
        on the same day a mental health service is furnished to such 
        individual by such provider (or another provider) at the same 
        office, clinic, or other outpatient facility; and
            ``(2) a mental health service furnished to an individual by 
        a provider at an office, clinic, or other outpatient facility 
        on the same day a primary care service is furnished to such 
        individual by such provider (or another provider) at the 
        office, clinic, or other outpatient facility.''.
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