A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide for certain licensed HEALTH professionals to provide services under medicaid.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  Funds appropriated for Medicaid services for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year and the 2008‑2009 fiscal year shall be expended for children eligible for EPSDT services provided by:
(1)	Licensed or certified psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, certified clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric mental health advanced practice, nurse practitioners certified as clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric mental health advanced practice, licensed psychological associates, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, certified clinical addictions specialists, and certified clinical supervisors, when Medicaid‑eligible children are referred by the Community Care of North Carolina primary care physician, a Medicaid‑enrolled psychiatrist, or the area mental health program or local management entity, and
(2)	Institutional providers of residential services as defined by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for children and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility services that meet federal and State requirements as defined by the Department.
(3)	Any provisionally licensed professional who is included in the disciplines eligible under subdivision (1) of this subsection who:
a.	Has been awarded a master's or doctoral degree;
b.	Has passed the licensing entrance exam for that profession; and
c.	Is actively seeking licensure within a defined period under State law governing the license.
	A provisionally licensed professional who meets the requirements of this subdivision may provide services only for so long as the individual (i) provides services in a Medicaid‑enrolled agency, (ii) is supervised by a fully licensed clinical professional who meets board requirements, and (iii) meets the requirements of licensure by the deadline set by the licensing board for that profession.
SECTION 1.(b)  Funds appropriated for Medicaid services for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year and the 2008‑2009 fiscal year shall be expended for Medicaid‑eligible adults for services provided by:
(1)	Licensed or certified psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, certified clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric mental health advanced practice, and nurse practitioners certified as clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric mental health advanced practice, licensed psychological associates, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical addictions specialists, and licensed clinical supervisors. Medicaid‑eligible adults may be self‑referred.
(2)	Any provisionally licensed professional who is included in the disciplines eligible under subdivision (1) of this subsection who:
a.	Has been awarded a master's or doctoral degree;
b.	Has passed the licensing entrance exam for that profession; and
c.	Is actively seeking licensure within a defined period under State law governing the license.
	A provisionally licensed professional who meets the requirements of this subdivision may provide services only for so long as the individual (i) provides services in a Medicaid‑enrolled agency, (ii) is supervised by a fully licensed clinical professional who meets board requirements, and (iii) meets the requirements of licensure by the deadline set by the licensing board for that profession.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.