APA’s Government, Policy, and Advocacy Update (September 2022)

Abstract

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government & LegalFull AccessAPA’s Government, Policy, and Advocacy Update (September 2022)Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:25 Aug 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2022.09.9.28Health Care Groups Release Statement Opposing Legislative Interference in CareJoined by more than 75 other organizations representing health care professionals, APA issued a statement emphasizing its opposition to all legislative interference in the patient-clinician relationship. The statement was made as the country’s health care system enters the post-Roe v. Wade era and abortion bans have gone into effect across the country.The wave of abortion bans “will harm patients, impair the integrity of the medical profession, and have a devastating and unquantifiable impact on the patients and clinicians it affects,” the statement reads. “People in at least half the states will now face a cruel choice between traveling hundreds of miles to receive abortion care (which is simply impossible for those who lack the resources, means, and opportunity) or being forced to continue with a pregnancy that may threaten their health, well-being, and future.”Clinicians practicing in those states will similarly face an untenable decision, the statement continues: risk criminal prosecution by providing evidence-based care or withholding safe and effective reproductive health care from patients in need.“More Than 75 Health Care Organizations Release Joint Statement in Opposition to Legislative Interference” APA Provides Comments on Patient Experience Survey for Mental Health SettingsThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is developing a version of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey, a tool for assessing patients’ experiences with health care, for use in inpatient mental health settings.Versions of the CAHPS survey are used in a variety of other health care settings and have been incorporated into federal quality and payment programs, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program.APA responded to a request for information that AHRQ released, providing input and suggestions. For example, APA advised that in an inpatient mental health setting, the survey should address patient involvement in care, including questions such as, “Do you feel like staff listened to you and respected you?” APA also noted the benefits and limitations of a patient experience survey in an inpatient mental health setting. Many patients are admitted involuntarily or their illness may affect their insight about the need for hospitalization or understanding of survey questions. Nonetheless, these patients should be surveyed to help lead to targeted interventions to improve the experience of patients like them, APA advised.APA’s comments Medical Groups Sound Alarm on Lawsuit Threatening Preventive CareAPA joined 60 other organizations, including the AMA, in issuing a statement warning that a federal court case could cause millions of Americans to lose access to preventive services.Kelley v. Becerra, filed in the Northern District of Texas, “could significantly jeopardize the coverage of preventive health care services for millions of Americans with private health insurances,” the statement reads. The lawsuit questions the constitutionality of section 2713 of the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers and group health plans to cover more than 100 preventive health services at no cost to patients.“Our patients cannot afford to lose this critical access to preventive health care services,” the statement reads. “Rolling back this access would reverse important progress and make it harder for physicians to diagnose and treat diseases and medical conditions that, if caught early, are significantly more manageable.”The news release APA Expresses Support for REDI Act, Suicide Prevention ActIn July, APA signed on to letters to Congress expressing support for two pieces of legislation that would address high student loan debts and suicide prevention.The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (S 3658/HR 4122) would allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment on their student loans while completing a medical or dental internship or residency program.“This bill would prevent medical and dental residents from being penalized during residency and save them thousands of dollars in interest,” the letter reads. It was sent to leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the House Committee on Education and Labor.Additionally, APA joined a letter to Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), cosponsors of the Suicide Prevention Act (S 4448). The bill would expand data collection and surveillance of suicide attempts and other instances of self-harm in state and local health departments, “allowing for a more timely and accurate response to concerning public health trends,” the letter states.The Suicide Prevention Act would also create a grant program to fund suicide prevention programs in hospital emergency rooms. “Equipping emergency department staff with the tools and training needed to recognize suicide risk in patients and refer them for appropriate follow-up is vital in ensuring that patients are being treated swiftly and given the care they need,” the letter states. ■ ISSUES NewArchived