| APAPAC Events
5/19 - 8:30 a.m. - Candidate Ray Heron, TN-08
5/19 - 11:00 a.m. - Candidate Diane Black (R) Meet and Greet
5/20 - 8:30 a.m. - Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) Meet and Greet |
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DGR Telephone:
703-907-7800 | |
Follow APA Advocacy on Twitter!
The APA Department of Government Relations is now on Twitter! Now you can find out about APA Advocacy activities, Congressional hearings, mark-ups, and floor votes in real time.
Please click on the following link to start following APA Advocacy Twitter:
http://twitter.com/apa_
advocacy
Questions about the Twitter page or how to set up an account? Please contact Kate McAllister at advocacy@psych.org. |
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Come Visit the DGR Booth
The DGR booth will be located in the Member Center in the Exhibit Hall of the Morial Convention Center. Stop by to chat with DGR staff, pick up our most recent Fact Sheets, and write letters to your Legislators. The booth is open Saturday through Tuesday from 10am to 4pm daily.
Write Your Members of Congress and Win a Video Flip
The DGR booth will have everything you need to draft a letter to your Legislators on these APA "hot topics":
- Urging Co-sponsorship of the "Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act"
- Removing the two-year waiting period for SSDI recipients to qualify for Medicare coverage
- Urging Co-sponsorship of the "The Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act"
- Securing a long-term solution to the broken system of physician reimbursement under Medicare (fixing the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate formula)
Stop by and let your voice be heard! All members who write a letter will be entered into a raffle to win a Video Flip.
DGR Now Offers Online Webinar Advocacy Training
Visit www.psych.org/advocacytrain or stop by the DGR booth to learn more about the Webinar Training and to add your name to future invite lists.
Be a Leader of the PAC
Learn more about becoming a member of the APA Political Action Committee (APAPAC) and make a donation at the DGR booth or online at www.psych.org/pac.
Members of the APAPAC are invited to join us in the PAC Hospitality Suite in room 2910 of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel. The suite is opened for Happy Hour Friday through Tuesday night.
Ragin' Cajun Night
Friday, May 21, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Bourbon Street/Bourbon Tasting
Saturday, May 22, 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
French Fusion Night
Sunday, May 23, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Jazz Fest
Monday, May 24, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Gris Gris and Ghosts - Resident and ECP Night
Tuesday, May 25, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
See you in New Orleans! |
Legislation Would Allow for Patients to Make More Informed Decisions about their Health Care
The APA was pleased to see Congress introduce legislation on May 13 that works to ensure patients have accurate information about the education, training, and qualifications of the professionals who provide their health care. The APA and a broad coalition of medical specialty organizations, including the American Medical Association, supported H.R. 5295, the Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act of 2010, which was sponsored by U.S. Reps. John Sullivan (R-OK), and David Scott (D-GA). The legislation clears confusion and promotes an informed patient population by requiring all health care professionals, including physicians, to disclose their qualifications and licensure in all advertisements. The bill will also empower the Federal Trade Commission to combat deceptive or misleading advertisements that misinform patients about a health care professional's level of training. To read APA's letter of support on this issue, click the link below:
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| FDA Launches "Bad Ad" Program
On May 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a new educational outreach program designed to educate physicians and other healthcare providers about the role they can play in helping ensure that prescription drug advertising and promotion is truthful and not misleading. The main purpose of the Bad Ad Program is to raise awareness among health care professionals about the importance of helping FDA in its efforts to prevent misleading promotion of prescription drugs. By providing information to health care professionals about how to identify and report misleading promotion, FDA will be able to decrease the number of misleading promotional messages directed to health care professionals. To report a potential violation, health care professionals can send an e-mail to badad@fda.gov or call 877-RX-DDMAC. You can also find more information through the FDA website on the Bad Ad Program.
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HHS Releases Regulations Expanding Dependent Healthcare Coverage to Age 26
On May 10, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released regulations implementing a key provision of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 which requires insurers to expand coverage to dependents up to age 26. The new rule applies to all plans in the individual market and to new employer plans. It also applies to existing employer plans unless the adult child has another offer of employer-based coverage (such as through his or her job). Beginning in 2014, children up to age 26 can stay on their parent's employer plan even if they have another offer of coverage through an employer. The rule is scheduled to become effective for plans or policies beginning on or after September 23, 2010, however, many plans have voluntarily begun implementing the policy immediately to avoid gaps in coverage and avoid additional administrative costs. A list of these plans plus additional Q&A information is available on the HHS website.
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Supreme Court Ruling Gives Juvenile Criminals an Opportunity to Change
The APA considers the May 17 Supreme Court ruling a win for juveniles, who must now be given a chance for parole from all life sentences in all cases except homicide. In July 2009, the American Psychiatric Association signed onto an amicus brief with the American Psychological Association for the case of Graham v. the State of Florida, of which the summary of the brief concluded, "In cases like those presented here, condemning an immature, vulnerable, and not-yet-fully-formed adolescent to die in prison is a constitutionally disproportionate punishment." Patricia Ryan Recupero, M.D., who is a lawyer and chair of the APA Council on Psychiatry and Law, believes that today's Supreme Court ruling is important to all children and teens under 18. She said that the 2009 amicus brief explained the fact that "because juveniles struggle to define their identity means it is less supportable to conclude that even a heinous crime committed by a juvenile is evidence of irretrievably depraved character." The APA has also supported federal legislation to prevent juveniles from being sentenced to life without parole. The APA's position on juvenile life without parole sentencing stems from its support of the now-federally banned death penalty for juveniles. |
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