On the first of the new year, 1/1/2024, licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists will be eligible to have their services covered/reimbursed by Medicare. This is exciting – and long awaited/hard fought for – news for many counselors and MFTs! It provides for greater access to care for a [rapidly growing] population with significant needs; and it provides for potential financial and revenue security for your practice. PCT’s go-to Medicare expert, Gabrielle Juliano-Villani, LCSW, (of Medicare Consulting for Therapists) reports that the consistency and rate of reimbursement through Medicare was better and more reliable than with other third-party payers, which provided the basis for her founding and running a thriving group practice devoted to serving Medicare clients.Â
If you want to be a Medicare provider, you must enroll as such. If you do not want to accept Medicare, you *must* opt-out (this applies to the clinical psychologists and social workers too, who were already eligible as Medicare providers.) Obviously this is an impactful decision, in either case, and it’s necessary to evaluate what the right fit and course of action for you, your clients, and your practice is. Fortunately there are some fantastic resources to support you in making this decision and then following the course of action determined by the outcome of that decision.Â
- Want to know the rates? The wonderful folks at ZynnyMe have a video that walks you through how to determine the rates in your area.
- Want a distillation of info that will help you determine whether being a Medicare provider might be right (or not) for your practice? Insurance expert Barbara Griswold, LMFT, of Navigating the Insurance Maze put together a Medicare Update: The Latest for MFTs and Counselors (and Everyone)
- Want to opt-out? Again, ZynnyMe has you covered with a step-by-step guide on how to opt-out for 2024.
- Want to get enrolled/credentialed? Check out PCT’s great on-demand training by Medicare Consulting for Therapists expert, Gabrielle Juliano-Villani, LCSW: Introduction to Medicare and Medicare Credentialing
- learn about the Medicare program and how to enroll in Medicare. Both eligibility and enrollment information are addressed, and Gabrielle guides you on entire process of how to smoothly and successfully get enrolled with Medicare so that you can serve Medicare clients, and increase revenue and referrals.
- learn about the Medicare program and how to enroll in Medicare. Both eligibility and enrollment information are addressed, and Gabrielle guides you on entire process of how to smoothly and successfully get enrolled with Medicare so that you can serve Medicare clients, and increase revenue and referrals.
- Need to know the details of Medicare billing and documentation so that being a Medicare provider goes smoothly for your practice? Check out PCT’s on-demand training, also provided by Gabrielle, on Medicare Billing