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Rep. Dempsey’s Legislation Makes Way Through General Assembly, Heads to Governor

ATLANTA – State Representative Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) commented today on the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 434, legislation that enables Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) to diagnose mental diseases and conditions for Medicaid patients. Sponsored by Rep. Dempsey, HB 434 passed the Senate today with a vote of 48 to 2, showing tremendous bipartisan support for the measure. The legislation previously passed the state House with a vote of 156 to 5.

“Licensed clinical social workers have been diagnosing and billing mental disorders for years under Medicare, Tri-Care, and most major commercial health insurance plans – basically every major medical payment plan but Medicaid,” said Rep. Dempsey. “In a time when Georgia is not only facing a shortage of doctors and nurses but also an increasing demand for medical services, we must take steps to create efficiencies within our existing resources, which this legislation does by expediting service to those in need while also saving Georgia taxpayers money. We must also recruit new medical caregivers to the state, which I encouraged as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Services when I supported funding additional residency spots for medical students in the state.”

Supported by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Department of Community Health and Department of Behavioral Health & Development Disabilities, HB 434 maintains and clarifies the authority of LCSW’s to diagnose mental diseases and conditions in Georgia. Currently, the definition of “diagnose” is included in the LCSW’s scope of practice, but the word “diagnose” is not. Rep. Dempsey’s legislation simply insert’s the word “diagnose” into the LCSW practice act to enable those licensed professionals to diagnose under Medicaid.

“The members of the Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers were thrilled to learn that Representative Dempsey’s legislation made it through the General Assembly,” said Susan R. Fort, Executive Director of NASW-GA. “This bill allows the 3,000 licensed clinical social workers throughout the state to provide the same services to Medicaid recipients that are already provided to most other Georgians. Our goal is to help alleviate the wait times and backlog faced by those in need of mental health services in Georgia.”

LCSW in Georgia have been diagnosing mental diseases and disorders as part of their scope of practice since the state adopted the social work licensing law in 1984. It was not until 2005 that the Department of Community Health made an interpretation of the social work practice act that no longer recognized the authority of LCSW to diagnose Medicaid patients. Since that time, LCSW have continued to diagnose mental diseases and conditions in Georgia under Medicare, Tri-Care, and most major commercial health insurance plans.

If approved by the Governor, HB 434 will allow Georgia to join 41 other states, including all of Georgia’s bordering states, that already allow LCSW to diagnose mental disorders for Medicaid patients.

For more information on HB 434, please click here.

Representative Katie Dempsey represents the citizens of District 13, which includes portions of Floyd County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006, and currently serves as the Vice Chairman for the Higher Education and Appropriations committees. She also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, and Rules committees.
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