A bill to provide for a greater utilization of the professional services of qualified professional psychiatric nurses in the medicare and medicaid programs.

Amends the Social Security Act to require skilled nursing facilities, under Title XVIII (Medicare), to have a qualified professional psychiatric nurse available, on at least a consultant basis, in order to furnish necessary psychiatric services, and to permit such nurses to perform specified medical and other health services which are performed by physicians.

Amends Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act: (1) to authorize payment for professional services furnished by a qualified professional psychiatric nurse; (2) to prohibit payment for services furnished by any intermediate care facility or skilled nursing facility which does not have a qualified psychiatric nurse available, on at least a consultant basis; and (3) to prohibit payment for inpatient services furnished by a psychiatric hospital unless such hospital provides to qualified professional nurses the same staff privileges which are extended to physicians.