I found it shocking to see that the bill only has a 3% chance of passing, and I really wonder why that is. I appreciate that this poster is very informative on the background of Medicare, and it's disheartening to see that even though other mental health professionals are covered, LPCs aren't. I wonder how much of that is due to the limited purview LPCs have, or if it is due to the perception that LPCs are inferior, despite the many benefits we provide to clients. ---Michelle Urquhart
Thank you for you thoughtful comment Michelle. It was shocking to me as well that there is such a low chance of the bill being passed. There is not a ton of information explaining why the chances are low but from what I understand, that number is calculated based on what committees are involved, the party from which it was introduced (Democrat) and if similar bills have been passed or not. Some good news though, chances are now at 4% instead of 3%! It is a small change but I am hopeful that this number will continue to rise as more awareness is spread and more support is gained.
At the time of research for the project, I have not seen any exceptions for mental health counseling in regards to COVID-19. The only things i've seen really is the rise in Telehealth counseling methods and that Medicare has updated its site to include what is covered by Medicare on Telehealth which includes "A community mental health center" but doesn't not specify if that is for psychiatry, counseling, etc. -Hannah Kearns
I had no idea that Medicare did not approve payment for LPCs. Thank you for raising awareness for this access issue! Learning about this feels strange to me because, while it is obviously an ethics issue in so many ways, I could see this advocacy work dismissed as LPCs only looking out for our own interests because we want to have more opportunity for paid clients. I wonder what kinds of push-back advocates for this policy issue experience as they educate our representatives about this.
That is an interesting thought about LPCs trying to look out for their own to have more paid clients. I agree that this could be viewed as a bad thing but I hope that representatives are able to recognize that there is more going on such as unequal standards for who is covered and a lack of access for clients. I have had a difficult time finding what specific push back there has been. I assume some may see it as a financial concern. However, from what I have read there is a "modest" cost of $100 million during the first five years. Additionally, like clinical social workers, LPCs would be paid at 75% the rate of psychologist and psychiatrists. I know this may just provide some further confusion on why there is not much support but maybe that is just more evidence that this bill should be passed.
This was all really good information. It is very upsetting that so many senior citizens cannot be the mental health care they need covered by insurance. What is even more upsetting is that this bill only has a 3% chance of passing. I would think this is something that people would want to get behind. I wonder if this is because certain insurance companies don't want to spend the money or if they do not hold LPCs in the regard as they do psychiatrists and psychologists.--Zach Small
Zach, I appreciate your insight into this hard topic. Since the project, the percentage of it passing has been increased to 4%, however that is still not very promising. It also has not had any movement in over a year. Unfortunately, the outlook for this bill does not look good. I had not thought about why people have not gotten behind it unless many do not know that it exists. I understand your reasoning and now wonder some of the same things in regards to what holds people back from supporting it.
Wow, thanks for bringing this up, I did not know Medicare does not cover LPC reimbursement. I like that under the "What You Can Do To Help" section you provided links to find representatives. Simple tips like this, help motivate advocacy. - Katie Fimbrez
Like I mentioned in a comment on another group's poster, it is discouraging to see that not only has this bill had no progress in 14 months, but that it has a 3% pass rate. I too am wonder why it only has a 3% chance of passing and how this statistic was generated, as Michelle previously mentioned. I hope with more advocacy from LPCs and the general public, that pass rate will increase. However, it is hard to think about any other bills getting attention in a time like this. I wonder how much the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the postponement of progress on getting other bills passed.
I would like to believe that after this pandemic has passed, which has provided a stronger need in mental health professionals as a lot of anxiety and stress has risen about the events in all population/age groups, especially the elderly since they're the group that is more likely to pass from it. I would hope that after all of this is over, the general public and lawmakers see what a huge help counseling has been to ease the minds of all populations and reconsider signing and passing the bill so mental health counseling is more available to all, especially the elderly. -Hannah Kearns.
This is a very informative and convincing poster! I like the "What Has Been Done So Far" section. The connections to ethical codes is also very informative but concise. I was also surprised to see that the bill only has a 3% pass rate, and I'm curious about how that is calculated.
It's discouraging to see that this bill only has a 3% chance of getting passed, and I'm curious and to why that is and why LPCs were not included in medicare in the first place. I'm influenced by what Michelle said about the inferior perception of LPCs and wonder about our role of advocating for our professional group to change that perception. I feel that advocating for ourselves could also be beneficial to helping pass this bill.
It is deeply concerning to me that Medicare does not approve payment for LPCs. The elderly population are one of the most at-risk groups because they are often isolated. Everyone deserves access to care regardless of insurance. It is very disheartening to see how unlikely it is that this bill will pass but I genuinely hope that if it is advocated for then more people will support it.
It's so sad to learn that this bill only has a 3% chance of being passed, and that no progress has been made within the last 14 months! With clients 65+ being such a vulnerable group, with increased risk for developing an opioid addiction, suicidal ideation, and depression, it's disheartening to read that Medicare does not cover services from LPCs, especially as in some areas, they are the only prevalent mental health professionals. I wonder why psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists are covered by Medicare, but LPCs are not, and why this bill only has 113 cosponsors advocating for a group of clients that deserve the same mental health care access as anyone else. I hope this bill is eventually passed, because clients 65+ can be an isolated and forgotten group of clients that still need mental health services, regardless of age. -Anna Ruddat
Anna, I completely agree with all you had to say and can get behind your passion on the subject. It is extremely aggravating to me that LPCs get looked over so often. Psychologists and Psychiatrists have more schooling and higher degrees, so at least that makes somewhat sense. However, social workers obtain the same amount of education as LPCs and just get a different license. I do not understand why this distinction needed to be made and I hope that one day it can be remedied.
Anna, I completely agree with all you had to say and can get behind your passion on the subject. It is extremely aggravating to me that LPCs get looked over so often. Psychologists and Psychiatrists have more schooling and higher degrees, so at least that makes somewhat sense. However, social workers obtain the same amount of education as LPCs and just get a different license. I do not understand why this distinction needed to be made and I hope that one day it can be remedied.
It's disheartening to see our elderly population being pushed to the metaphorical sharks and sacrificed to deepen the pockets of insurance providers and the government. I think it's truly appalling that there is such a low chance for it being passed. Time and time again we ignore our elderly population and you can even see this in today's pandemic where people are so laissez faire to the idea that so many older adults are at risk of dying from catching this virus and how carefree the youth are and naive to the impact they have.
This was definitely not a issue that I was initially aware of. It is interesting how insurance will allow meetings with psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to be covered but not with LPCs, even though we fall under the same mental health helping professions as the others. Not only that, the elder population is suffering from this and not much is being done by the government. I like how you put "what has been done so far" because this really motivates me further to advocate for this public policy because there is only a 3% chance of being passed. This is insane to me because this is such an important issue that is being looked over, but there is just not a lot of word being spread about it (because I too have not heard of this public policy until this moment). Thank you for this information and providing more awareness on the subject. -Jennifer Kim
It is disheartening to think about how there are many elders who cannot get the help that's needed because of this issue. I wonder why Medicare covers reimbursement of psychiatrist, psychologist, and social workers but not all LPCs. Since most elders over 65+ do not work, government needs to help them get a mental health care. I believe elders go through a lot of struggles such as loneliness, death of friends, and so on. Elders having a therapeutic relationships with counselors will be extremely helpful for their mental health. Reading that this bill only has a 3% chance of being passed makes me extremely sad.
Seoyoung, I agree that this whole situation makes me extremely sad. There are so many people who could benefit from counseling, but simply can't afford to go. They could go to a psychologist or psychiatrist but not a LPC. There are so many benefits to this bill and the fact that it will most likely not pass is disheartening. Hopefully more people will stand up for this bill so that the elderly can truly get the help they need.
This info was shocking... It makes me sad that these are true stats. Only 3% chance pf passing is crazy. I love the format of this poster. I love the "who it affects" aspect. It is really helpful to see who this impacts. Elderly people do need counseling! It's not like they are exempt from mental health. So, this is disheartening.
Although our posters were created on the same information, I was able to take away a lot of helpful knowledge from your presentation! I especially appreciated your percentage on the likelihood the bill has in becoming a law. This shockingly low percentage is disheartening due to the limited access Medicare patients have when accessing mental health professionals. Lastly, I appreciate the link embedded on the poster which makes it simple for onlookers to advocate for this bill!- Hannah Minton DeJong
I found it shocking to see that the bill only has a 3% chance of passing, and I really wonder why that is. I appreciate that this poster is very informative on the background of Medicare, and it's disheartening to see that even though other mental health professionals are covered, LPCs aren't. I wonder how much of that is due to the limited purview LPCs have, or if it is due to the perception that LPCs are inferior, despite the many benefits we provide to clients. ---Michelle Urquhart
ReplyDeleteThank you for you thoughtful comment Michelle. It was shocking to me as well that there is such a low chance of the bill being passed. There is not a ton of information explaining why the chances are low but from what I understand, that number is calculated based on what committees are involved, the party from which it was introduced (Democrat) and if similar bills have been passed or not. Some good news though, chances are now at 4% instead of 3%! It is a small change but I am hopeful that this number will continue to rise as more awareness is spread and more support is gained.
DeleteReally thorough yet concise poster!Do you know if any exceptions for mental health counseling are being made due to COVID-19? ---Cara Bowen
ReplyDeleteAt the time of research for the project, I have not seen any exceptions for mental health counseling in regards to COVID-19. The only things i've seen really is the rise in Telehealth counseling methods and that Medicare has updated its site to include what is covered by Medicare on Telehealth which includes "A community mental health center" but doesn't not specify if that is for psychiatry, counseling, etc. -Hannah Kearns
DeleteI had no idea that Medicare did not approve payment for LPCs. Thank you for raising awareness for this access issue! Learning about this feels strange to me because, while it is obviously an ethics issue in so many ways, I could see this advocacy work dismissed as LPCs only looking out for our own interests because we want to have more opportunity for paid clients. I wonder what kinds of push-back advocates for this policy issue experience as they educate our representatives about this.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting thought about LPCs trying to look out for their own to have more paid clients. I agree that this could be viewed as a bad thing but I hope that representatives are able to recognize that there is more going on such as unequal standards for who is covered and a lack of access for clients. I have had a difficult time finding what specific push back there has been. I assume some may see it as a financial concern. However, from what I have read there is a "modest" cost of $100 million during the first five years. Additionally, like clinical social workers, LPCs would be paid at 75% the rate of psychologist and psychiatrists. I know this may just provide some further confusion on why there is not much support but maybe that is just more evidence that this bill should be passed.
DeleteThis was all really good information. It is very upsetting that so many senior citizens cannot be the mental health care they need covered by insurance. What is even more upsetting is that this bill only has a 3% chance of passing. I would think this is something that people would want to get behind. I wonder if this is because certain insurance companies don't want to spend the money or if they do not hold LPCs in the regard as they do psychiatrists and psychologists.--Zach Small
ReplyDeleteZach, I appreciate your insight into this hard topic. Since the project, the percentage of it passing has been increased to 4%, however that is still not very promising. It also has not had any movement in over a year. Unfortunately, the outlook for this bill does not look good. I had not thought about why people have not gotten behind it unless many do not know that it exists. I understand your reasoning and now wonder some of the same things in regards to what holds people back from supporting it.
DeleteWow, thanks for bringing this up, I did not know Medicare does not cover LPC reimbursement. I like that under the "What You Can Do To Help" section you provided links to find representatives. Simple tips like this, help motivate advocacy. - Katie Fimbrez
ReplyDeleteLike I mentioned in a comment on another group's poster, it is discouraging to see that not only has this bill had no progress in 14 months, but that it has a 3% pass rate. I too am wonder why it only has a 3% chance of passing and how this statistic was generated, as Michelle previously mentioned. I hope with more advocacy from LPCs and the general public, that pass rate will increase. However, it is hard to think about any other bills getting attention in a time like this. I wonder how much the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the postponement of progress on getting other bills passed.
ReplyDeleteI would like to believe that after this pandemic has passed, which has provided a stronger need in mental health professionals as a lot of anxiety and stress has risen about the events in all population/age groups, especially the elderly since they're the group that is more likely to pass from it. I would hope that after all of this is over, the general public and lawmakers see what a huge help counseling has been to ease the minds of all populations and reconsider signing and passing the bill so mental health counseling is more available to all, especially the elderly. -Hannah Kearns.
DeleteThis is a very informative and convincing poster! I like the "What Has Been Done So Far" section. The connections to ethical codes is also very informative but concise. I was also surprised to see that the bill only has a 3% pass rate, and I'm curious about how that is calculated.
ReplyDeleteIt's discouraging to see that this bill only has a 3% chance of getting passed, and I'm curious and to why that is and why LPCs were not included in medicare in the first place. I'm influenced by what Michelle said about the inferior perception of LPCs and wonder about our role of advocating for our professional group to change that perception. I feel that advocating for ourselves could also be beneficial to helping pass this bill.
ReplyDeleteIt is deeply concerning to me that Medicare does not approve payment for LPCs. The elderly population are one of the most at-risk groups because they are often isolated. Everyone deserves access to care regardless of insurance. It is very disheartening to see how unlikely it is that this bill will pass but I genuinely hope that if it is advocated for then more people will support it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad to learn that this bill only has a 3% chance of being passed, and that no progress has been made within the last 14 months! With clients 65+ being such a vulnerable group, with increased risk for developing an opioid addiction, suicidal ideation, and depression, it's disheartening to read that Medicare does not cover services from LPCs, especially as in some areas, they are the only prevalent mental health professionals. I wonder why psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists are covered by Medicare, but LPCs are not, and why this bill only has 113 cosponsors advocating for a group of clients that deserve the same mental health care access as anyone else. I hope this bill is eventually passed, because clients 65+ can be an isolated and forgotten group of clients that still need mental health services, regardless of age. -Anna Ruddat
ReplyDeleteAnna, I completely agree with all you had to say and can get behind your passion on the subject. It is extremely aggravating to me that LPCs get looked over so often. Psychologists and Psychiatrists have more schooling and higher degrees, so at least that makes somewhat sense. However, social workers obtain the same amount of education as LPCs and just get a different license. I do not understand why this distinction needed to be made and I hope that one day it can be remedied.
DeleteAnna, I completely agree with all you had to say and can get behind your passion on the subject. It is extremely aggravating to me that LPCs get looked over so often. Psychologists and Psychiatrists have more schooling and higher degrees, so at least that makes somewhat sense. However, social workers obtain the same amount of education as LPCs and just get a different license. I do not understand why this distinction needed to be made and I hope that one day it can be remedied.
DeleteIt's disheartening to see our elderly population being pushed to the metaphorical sharks and sacrificed to deepen the pockets of insurance providers and the government. I think it's truly appalling that there is such a low chance for it being passed. Time and time again we ignore our elderly population and you can even see this in today's pandemic where people are so laissez faire to the idea that so many older adults are at risk of dying from catching this virus and how carefree the youth are and naive to the impact they have.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely not a issue that I was initially aware of. It is interesting how insurance will allow meetings with psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to be covered but not with LPCs, even though we fall under the same mental health helping professions as the others. Not only that, the elder population is suffering from this and not much is being done by the government. I like how you put "what has been done so far" because this really motivates me further to advocate for this public policy because there is only a 3% chance of being passed. This is insane to me because this is such an important issue that is being looked over, but there is just not a lot of word being spread about it (because I too have not heard of this public policy until this moment). Thank you for this information and providing more awareness on the subject. -Jennifer Kim
ReplyDeleteIt is disheartening to think about how there are many elders who cannot get the help that's needed because of this issue. I wonder why Medicare covers reimbursement of psychiatrist, psychologist, and social workers but not all LPCs. Since most elders over 65+ do not work, government needs to help them get a mental health care. I believe elders go through a lot of struggles such as loneliness, death of friends, and so on. Elders having a therapeutic relationships with counselors will be extremely helpful for their mental health. Reading that this bill only has a 3% chance of being passed makes me extremely sad.
ReplyDeleteSeoyoung, I agree that this whole situation makes me extremely sad. There are so many people who could benefit from counseling, but simply can't afford to go. They could go to a psychologist or psychiatrist but not a LPC. There are so many benefits to this bill and the fact that it will most likely not pass is disheartening. Hopefully more people will stand up for this bill so that the elderly can truly get the help they need.
DeleteThis info was shocking... It makes me sad that these are true stats. Only 3% chance pf passing is crazy. I love the format of this poster. I love the "who it affects" aspect. It is really helpful to see who this impacts. Elderly people do need counseling! It's not like they are exempt from mental health. So, this is disheartening.
ReplyDeleteAlthough our posters were created on the same information, I was able to take away a lot of helpful knowledge from your presentation! I especially appreciated your percentage on the likelihood the bill has in becoming a law. This shockingly low percentage is disheartening due to the limited access Medicare patients have when accessing mental health professionals. Lastly, I appreciate the link embedded on the poster which makes it simple for onlookers to advocate for this bill!- Hannah Minton DeJong
ReplyDelete