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Senate committee holds bill to let LICSWs bill fee-for-service Medicaid directly
Summary
Sen. DeMario presented S.B. 874 to allow licensed independent clinical social workers to enroll with and bill the state Medicaid program for covered services provided to adults on fee‑for‑service Medicaid; committee held the bill after brief testimony and one written support comment.
The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on April 3 heard Senate Bill 874, introduced by Senator DeMario, to allow licensed independent clinical social workers (LICSWs) to enroll with and bill Medicaid directly for covered services provided to adults with fee‑for‑service Medicaid coverage.
Senator DeMario told the committee the measure is “a relatively straightforward bill” intended to “connect people with the appropriate mental health care services that they need and close a gap that exists with people who have LICSWs not being able to bill the state directly for fee for service Medicaid.” He also noted a drafting error in the bill text and said the authority to make rules should rest with the secretary of EOHHS rather than the director as written.
Grace Duffy of CPNRI signed in in support but did not speak. No opponents testified at the hearing.
After testimony, the panel voted to hold the bill for further consideration. Motion to hold was made by Senator Erso and seconded by Senator Valverde (recorded as “second” in the transcript); the committee announced the bill was held.
The hearing record shows limited debate: the sponsor described the policy gap and an intended technical fix to the rule‑making language, one stakeholder submitted written support, and the committee chose to hold the bill for follow up rather than advance it that day.
