Medicare Coverage of Marriage and Family Therapists

MFTs in Medicare Bill is Now Federal Law

Medicare Webinars

The implementation of Medicare Part B Coverage of MFTs and Counselors will involve a comprehensive regulatory process throughout 2023. The Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition has hosted several webinars so far, which can be viewed below. Among other issues, these sessions cover the basics of the Medicare Program, key provisions of the specific legislation that included MFTs and Counselors in Medicare, and overviews of key implementation features such as provider enrollment, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and related regulatory and administrative initiatives that will be conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

Medicare 601 Video and Slides
The Role of Medicare Administrative Contractors: Enrollment to Payment Video and Slides
Older Adult Mental Health 101 Video and Slides
The Process of Working With Older Adults in Psychotherapy Video and Slides
Normal Cognitive Aging and Dementia: What Counselors and MFTs Need to Know Video and Slides

Enrolling as a Medicare Provider

The process to enroll as Medicare provider can seem complicated, so we first encourage members to review the Medicare 301, 401, and 601 webinars and slides, which specifically focus on provider enrollment issues. We also encourage any MFTs planning to enroll as a Medicare provider to review the CMS Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT) and Mental Health Counselors (MHC) Provider Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in its entirety. The CMS page focused on MFTs and MHCs in Medicare provides many useful resources for review that will help you navigate the enrollment process.  

The provider enrollment page can be found here. This will bring you to the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). 

You will also need to apply for a National Provider Identifier (NPI) via the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). This is required of all medical providers and suppliers before enrolling as a Medicare provider. 

When enrolling, you may have questions that you need answered by your state Medicare Administrative Contractor, or MAC. To find their contact information, please use this MAC Part B Contact Information  document provided by AAMFT. 

FAQs about MFTs as Medicare Providers 

In September 2023, CMS released its initial FAQs regarding the enrollment of MFTs and MHCs. You can access these FAQs at this site. As well, you can read our Medicare FAQ page to read more on the most frequently asked questions and gain additional insight into Medicare enrollment. 

Next Steps

AAMFT is elated that MFTs have now been added to federal law as a Medicare-eligible profession, as of January 2024.

AAMFT has joined with its allies in the Medicare Mental Health Workforce Coalition to work with CMS to help ensure a smooth process for enrollment of MFTs as Medicare providers. AAMFT is planning to provide additional information to members on the Medicare program, how to enroll as a Medicare provider, and the policies MFTs will need to follow while treating Medicare enrollees.

Are you a member of AAMFT’s Family TEAM? The Family TEAM is AAMFT’s network of advocates who are interested in MFT advocacy and wiling to volunteer some time to advocate for important MFT goals. TEAM members will receive additional information on the progress of onboarding MFTs as Medicare providers throughout the year. Please click here to join the Family TEAM today!

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.