Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act

HR 4638, the Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act, amends Medicare rules to expand coverage for clinical social workers. It removes a current restriction limiting their services to "diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses" and broadens the definition to include all clinical social work services and related supplies provided during the same service encounter. This change will take effect on December 1, 2024, allowing Medicare to cover social workers' support for a wider range of health conditions, such as chronic disease management and care coordination. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries, clinical social workers, and healthcare providers who bill Medicare for these services.