Reps. Chu, Smith Introduce Bipartisan PEERS in Medicare Act to Bolster Mental Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Adrian Smith (NE-03) introduced the PEERS in Medicare (PEERS) Act to provide for Medicare coverage of peer support services when delivered by federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, community mental health centers, and certified community behavioral health clinics. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (LA) are introducing companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
A peer support specialist is a person with “lived experience” who has been trained to support those who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma, or substance use. Peer support specialists do not take the place of mental health practitioners like physicians, psychologists, or social workers. Instead, they supplement these professionals as part of a larger care team to help someone struggling with substance abuse or mental health disorders on the road to recovery. Peer support services help reduce hospitalizations and behavioral crises, improve management of co-occurring physical conditions, help restore relationships and social connection, and ultimately save lives.
“Since my first job out of college with the Asian American Drug Abuse Program, I’ve fought for approaches to mental health and substance abuse that not only include prevention and treatment but recovery as well,” said Rep. Chu. “That is why I am leading this bill with Rep. Smith once again, because we want to help bolster the recovery care workforce in our country and expand peer support for Medicare recipients—to offer acceptance, understanding, and validation not found in many other professional relationships. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support workers help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self‐empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self‐determined lives for themselves.”
“One of the greatest mental health care challenges in our state and across rural regions of the United States is the shortage of professional mental health providers,” said Rep. Smith. “This bill would address this shortage by increasing access to trained and certified peer support specialists with a related or comparable diagnosis. Increasing access to peer support specialists has proven to be a low-cost, high-impact mental health care treatment option, especially in areas with limited or no access to traditional providers. I am glad to co-lead this bipartisan legislation. I thank Rep. Chu for her cooperation and will continue working on bettering mental health in our country.”
This legislation expands on a provision led by Reps. Chu and Smith that was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 that recognizes peer support specialists in Medicare as part of interdisciplinary integrated care teams and mobile crisis teams.
The bill is endorsed by: Mental Health America (MHA), the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), the National Association of Peer Supporters (NAPS), and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW).
Click here for bill text.