Important National Updates from AAMFT Family TEAM & Their Impact on Washington MFTs

Each month, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Family TEAM shares federal and state advocacy updates shaping the future of Marriage and Family Therapy across the country. As members of the Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (WAMFT), you are connected to this national work. Your membership ensures access to these updates, strengthens coordinated advocacy efforts, and helps translate national momentum into real opportunity here in Washington.

Below are key developments and what they mean for you.

Payment Parity for Family Therapy: National Momentum, Local Opportunity

Payment parity for family therapy codes remains a top national priority. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) 2025 workforce study, nearly 60% of MFTs report being reimbursed at a higher rate for individual therapy than for family therapy. This inequity affects clinician sustainability, discourages systemic treatment models, and ultimately limits access to relational care for families who need it most. When reimbursement structures favor individual therapy, they quietly shape practice patterns—often pushing care toward individual-only treatment even when couple or family therapy would be clinically indicated.

For those interested in learning more about how reimbursement inequities impact providers and clients, we encourage you to watch WAMFT’s It’s All Relational podcast episode featuring WA State's Office of the Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer and her team. In that conversation, they explore the real-world challenges therapists face with insurance reimbursement, the broader fight for mental health parity, and how legislative advocacy can help create a more equitable landscape for both clinicians and the communities we serve.

We also recommend the educational video from the MFT Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi, which examines how reimbursement gaps shape access to care and reviews the strong evidence base supporting couple and family psychotherapy outcomes. The discussion highlights why parity-consistent reimbursement for CPT code 90847 is a reasonable, patient-centered policy solution and outlines practical options available to payers and policymakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RrnkGLj1Cc

Advancing fair reimbursement is not only a workforce issue; it is also an access-to-care issue. For Washington MFTs, staying informed about national parity efforts equips us with the language, research, and policy understanding needed to engage in future reimbursement conversations here at home.

State Wins in Action

In Connecticut, collaboration between AAMFT and the state association resulted in Medicaid reimbursement for CPT code 90847 increasing from $79.79 to $105.68—a significant move toward parity. Additionally, in New Hampshire, draft payment parity legislation is currently under review, supported by coordinated advocacy and media outreach efforts. So what does this mean for Washington State? These efforts provide a blueprint by offering legislative language examples, strategy models, data to support reimbursement reform conversations, and proof that parity advancement is achievable. For WA MFTs, national progress strengthens our ability to explore future reimbursement advocacy in Washington.

VA Marriage & Family Therapists Equity Act (HR 658)

In Virginia, the VA Marriage and Family Therapists Equity Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate. If signed into law, this bill would remove outdated regulations preventing many MFTs employed within Veterans Affairs systems from being promoted into supervisory roles. The implications for WA MFTs are significant, as we have a large veteran population and multiple VA facilities. The passage of this bill could expand advancement pathways for WA-based VA clinicians, elevate recognition of the MFT credential in federal systems, and strengthen systemic care within veteran services.

You can read more about Licensure portability from AAMFT here: https://aamft.informz.net/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=70776&ptid=2745&brandid=4918&uid=1114903852&mi=12261226&ps=70776

Federal Budget Update: Telehealth & Fellowship Funding

A bill funding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Fiscal Year 2026, as well as many other federal departments, was signed into law on February 3. This bill contains funding for many essential behavioral health programs, including funding the Minority Fellowship Program through the end of September at approximately the same total amount as the entire program was funded for during the last fiscal year.  This legislation also delays the requirement that MFTs providing services to Medicare beneficiaries must have seen these beneficiaries in-person within the previous six months before starting virtual therapy, through December 31, 2027.

For Washington clinicians, this means:

• Continued flexibility in Medicare telehealth delivery

• Protection for rural and homebound client access

• Greater stability for hybrid and virtual practice models

This extension allows WA MFTs to continue serving Medicare clients without new administrative barriers while longer-term telehealth policy conversations continue.

Student Loan & Workforce Developments

Federal student loan changes expected in 2026 are under review, and member engagement in public comment remains important. The new law eliminates the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for all instruction beginning on or after July 1, 2026. This loan program allows borrowers to borrow up to the full cost of attending a graduate or professional program. Effective July 1, 2026, MFT students and other graduate students will still be able to receive Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. However, beginning on July 1, 2026, new borrowing caps will take effect. The maximum amount a student may borrow will be determined by regulations from the Department of Education. For all students enrolled in a post-baccalaureate health professions program, the new law caps annual loans for a new borrower who is a “professional student” at $50,000 per year, but caps annual loans for a new borrower who is a “graduate student” at $20,500 per year.  

You can read about AAMFT's efforts to support MFT's here. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to complete the AAMFT Student Loan Impact Survey (if you haven't already done so) here.

Furthermore, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is now accepting applications for three loan repayment programs, and marriage and family therapists are eligible to apply. These programs include the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program, and the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program. Applicants could receive up to $100,000 to help pay off student loans. We strongly recommend reviewing this comparison chart, which provides an overview of the differences and award amounts for these programs. Applications are now open through Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET. Don’t forget to apply!

Building Advocacy Skills: The AAMFT Advocacy Certificate (2 CEs)

And last but not least, AAMFT is providing another Advocacy Certificate for 2026 to help equip MFTs with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively protect and advance the profession. The Advocacy Certificate provides a strong foundation in professional advocacy, including an overview of legislative processes, insight into government relations, and practical tools for promoting and defending the MFT credential. Participants earn 2 continuing education credits, along with a digital certificate and badge that demonstrate their commitment to professional leadership. The course is fully on-demand and self-paced, with completion available through December 31, 2026.

Participation requires a $25 donation to AAMFT’s Practice Protection Fund, directly supporting national advocacy efforts. For those who would like to invest even further, a $50 donation allows you to sponsor an MFT student to complete the course at no cost—strengthening the next generation of advocates while reinforcing the profession’s infrastructure. As MFTs, expanding our advocacy literacy has a tangible impact. Encouraging clinicians across our state to complete the Advocacy Certificate strengthens our in-state advocacy capacity, increases preparedness for legislative engagement, builds policy fluency among members, and enhances participation in future Day on the Hill efforts.

I will be completing the certificate and am looking forward to sharing what I learn with all of you! Remember, the stronger our collective advocacy skill set, the stronger our influence in Olympia.

You can view AAMFT's full Family TEAM post here.