Advocacy

Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act Summary - H.R.6280 and S.3607

• Genetic counseling is currently reimbursed under Medicare only when provided by recognized practitioners (e.g., physicians, certified nurse midwives, physician assistants, audiologists). Genetic counselors themselves are not recognized as Medicare providers and therefore cannot be reimbursed when they provide genetic counseling services.
• The bill would fix this barrier and recognize genetic counselors as Medicare providers, allowing them to directly receive reimbursement under Medicare Part B.
• The bill defines genetic counselors as those licensed by their state. If a state does not license genetic counselors, a person must be certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and meet any other requirements set by the Secretary of HHS.
• The bill does not change the ability of other practitioners to provide genetic counseling; it simply adds genetic counselors as qualified professionals eligible to be reimbursed for these services.
• The bill would reimburse genetic counselor services at 85% of the physician rate – helping expand access while also lowering Medicare costs.
• Please support the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act, led by Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) & Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Peter Welch (D-VT).
• Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act One-Pager

Press Releases

• Barrasso Leads Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Genetic Counseling  - John Barrasso
• Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Genomic Health Care to Medicare Beneficiaries Reintroduced in U.S. House
• Rep. Smith's Press Release on the Bill
• Rep. Castor's Press Release on the Bill
• U.S. Senate Bill Would Allow Medicare Patients to Access Genetic Counselors
• Welch, Barrasso Lead Bipartisan Effort to Expand Access to Genetic Counselor Services | Senator Welch

Want to Endorse the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act (H.R.6280/S.3607)?

More than 200 associations and organizations across the United States representing patients, hospitals, health systems, academia, graduate programs, providers, healthcare workers and laboratories have joined us in supporting the bill, including the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Kidney Fund, the American Society of Human Genetics, Association of Cancer Care Centers  (ACCC), EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases (ELF), the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). 

Full List of Endorsing Organizations

Several individual clinicians across the country have endorsed the bill. You can read the statement here, which has been signed by over 500 providers – including doctors, PAs, and NPs.

Resources for Individuals to Support the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act (H.R.6280/S.3607)

In order to advance our efforts and make it easy for our members, fellow genetic counselors, patients, and other healthcare providers to support the bill, NSGC has created a number of resources for immediate use.

For our members and fellow genetic counselors:

• Action Alert for Genetic Counselors to Send to their Members of Congress
• Social Media Promotional Toolkit

To pass along to any non-genetic counselor clinicians you know or work with:

• Action Alert for Non-Genetic Counselor Clinicians to Send to their Members of Congress

To pass along to any patients or friends and family to modify for support:

• Action Alert for Patients to Send to their Members of Congress