H.R. 4185: Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act

This bill is known as the Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act, and it aims to amend the Social Security Act to revise how clinical social worker services are defined.

Key Provisions

• Amendment of Definition: The bill proposes to change the definition of clinical social worker services by making two significant amendments:
• Insert text to include "services and supplies furnished as an incident to such services" before the phrase "performed by."
• Remove the existing phrase "for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses."
• Effective Date: The changes made by this bill would apply to services provided on or after December 1, 2025.

Implications

By redefining clinical social worker services, the bill seeks to broaden the scope of what these professionals can offer within healthcare settings. This may lead to increased integration of social workers in various health services, allowing them to provide a wider range of support, including but not limited to mental health. The removal of the specific reference to mental illnesses suggests an intent to allow social workers to address other aspects of patient care and social issues encountered within healthcare environments.

The ultimate goal of these changes is to enhance the role of social workers in health care, which could potentially improve patient outcomes and accessibility of services across different health settings.

Relevant Companies

None found