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[ywca-austin]

Support for HB 3995 Needed

The Texas Medical Association filed a lawsuit against the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Board attempting to remove the ability to diagnose clients. LMFT's and other mental health professionals are well trained and qualified to make mental health diagnoses. Without a diagnosis, most clients would be unable to utilize their health insurance benefits to pay for treatment without going to a medical doctor first. Supporting for this bill is important as all other mental health professionals may be the next targets of the TMA. This not only impacts the professionals, but also the public. It would result in decreasing the access to care for all Texans.

Therefore, it is imperative that we get calls into the chair and members of the Public Health Committee, and their chiefs of staff politely asking for them to support HB 3995. This is an essential step if HB 3995 is to have a prayer of getting to the next step of the legislative process.

HB 3995 would modify Chapter 502 of the Occupations Code (governing Marriage and Family Therapists) to allow LMFTs to utilize the DSM and other diagnostic resources in connection with any claim for payment or reimbursement from a health insurance policy issuer or any other payor.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB3995

Public Health Committee Contact Information is below:

Myra Crownover, Chair (R-Lake Dallas) – 512-463-0582 – Chief of Staff, Miranda Goodsheller (Miranda.goodsheller@house.state.tx.us)

Elliot Naishtat, Vice Chair (D-Austin) – 512-463-0668 – Chief of Staff, Judith Dale (Judith.dale@house.state.tx.us)

Cesar Blanco, (D-El Paso) – 512-463-0622 – Chief of Staff, Rebecca Acuna (Rebecca.acuna@house.state.tx.us)

Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) – 512-463-0524 – Chief of Staff, Christopher Walker (Christopher.walker@house.state.tx.us)

Nicole Collier (D-Fort Worth) – 512-463-0716 - Chief of Staff, Jacob Limon (Jacob.limon@house.state.tx.us)

Sarah Davis (R-West University Place Houston) – 512-463-0389 – Chief of Staff, Hunter Hughes (hunter.hughes@house.state.tx.us)

Bobby Guerra (D-McAllen) – 512-463-0578 – Chief of Staff, Anne Drescher (anne.drescher@house.state.tx.us)

Rick Miller (R-Sugar Land) – 512-463-0710 – Chief of Staff, Courtney Hjaltman (Courtney.hjaltman@house.state.tx.us)

J.D. Sheffield (R-Gatesville) – 512-463-0628 – Chief of Staff, Andrew Johnson (Andrew.johnson@house.state.tx.us)

Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) – 512-463-0374 – Chief of Staff, Matt Posey (matthew.posey@house.state.tx.us)

John Zerwas (R-Richmond) – 512-463-0657 – Chief of Staff, Nelda Hunter (nelda.hunter@house.state.tx.us)

Please keep in mind that we need to be respectful in our request.

Recommended Transcript for your phone call: It is my understanding that HB 3995, authored by Representative Romero, relating to the practice of marriage and family therapy, is set for next Tuesday’s meeting. This is a very important bill and will help ensure timely access to mental health care for all Texans. Would you please let Representative ____________ know that I called and that I’m encouraging him/her to support Rep. Representative Romero on HB 3995.

It is very important to contact your family members, community physicians, nurses, therapists, ministers, probation officers, teachers, principals, neighbors, friends, etc. and urge them to contact the member of the Public Health Committee above and encourage them to support HB 3995 in order to ensure that your community members continue to receive access to mental health treatment in Texas. If TMA succeeds in the lawsuit against TSBEMFT, they will then have set precedent and could file similar suits against Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and Licensed Psychologists.