Monitor on Psychology - December 2011 - (Page 16b)

YOUR PRACTICE ASSESSMENT IN ACTION 2 Challenging rate cuts by health insurers. APAPO worked with the Florida Psychological Association (FPA) in August 2011 to prepare a letter to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR) immediately after FPA learned that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS FL) and its new behavioral health subcontractor were planning a 30- to 60percent reduction in psychologists’ reimbursement rates. The reductions were part of a new provider contract that psychologists seemingly were asked to sign within 15 days. FLOIR responded to the letter within one week, assuring FPA that psychologists will have more time to decide about the new provider contract and that the state regulatory agency is working with the health insurers to correct certain problematic language in the contract. APAPO and FPA will continue to address the crucial issues raised with FLOIR regarding the adequacy of reimbursement rates and the impact on patient access to mental health services. Unfortunately, the problem has spread quickly beyond Florida. APAPO has collaborated with the Kansas and Michigan Psychological Associations and is poised to work with additional SPTAs as similar issues arise in other states. Supporting litigation against abusive managed care practices. In July 2011, APAPO collaborated with the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) and its outside counsel on re-ﬁling a lawsuit by NJPA and two patients against Horizon BCBS and Magellan. The lawsuit alleges that the companies violated state privacy law and the HIPAA Privacy Rule in managing mental health care for the state employee plan. An emergency CAPP grant was provided to support this litigation. Advocating for professional psychology as the Aﬀordable Care Act is implemented. This advocacy includes providing comments in support of the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act of 2011 (H.R. 452), a bill to repeal the Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). In a June 2011 comment letter, APAPO supported repealing the board, which would be tasked with making Medicare costcutting recommendations beginning in 2014. “For less than $12 a month, a psychologist who pays the APAPO Practice Assessment can rest assured that a team of highly skilled professionals is working every day to advocate for the profession’s interests in addressing threats and obstacles to psychology practice.” – Katherine C. Nordal, PhD 5 3 Challenging mental health care authorization requirements that may violate the federal health insurance parity law. In May 2011, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBS-IL) reiterated to the Illinois Psychological Association (IPA) that it will not try to re-institute authorization requirements governing outpatient therapy that had been slated to take eﬀect in January. APAPO has worked closely with IPA since 2010 to challenge authorization requirements newly proposed by the company. APAPO helped IPA prepare a letter to BCBS-IL objecting to implementation. Late in December 2010, BCBS-IL made its initial announcement that the company was withdrawing the authorization requirements. Confronting AMA assaults on non-physician scope of practice. In May 2011, Dr. Katherine C. Nordal and other selected representatives of the Coalition for Patients’ Rights (CPR) met with the American Medical Association (AMA) chief executive officer, president of the AMA Board of Trustees and the association’s general counsel 6 4

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - December 2011

Monitor on Psychology - December 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Willpower Pioneer Wins $100,000 Grawemeyer Prize
Single-Sex Schooling Called Into Question by Prominent Researchers
Maternal Depression Stunts Childhood Growth, Research Suggests
For Boys, Sharing May Seem Like a Waste of Time
Good News for Postdoc Applicants
In Brief
Treatment Guideline Development Now Under Way
Government Relations Update
Psychologist Named Va Mental Health Chief
The Limits of Eyewitness Testimony
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Deconstructing Suicide
Questionnaire
A Focus on Interdisciplinarity
A Time of ‘Enormous Change’
The Science Behind Team Science
Good Science Requires Good Conflict
A New Paradigm of Care
Speaking of Education
Science Directions
New Labels, New Attitudes?
Psychologist Profile
Early Career Psychology
Unintended Consequences
Better Options for Troubled Teens
Saving Lives, One Organ at a Time
New Journal Editors
APA News
Division Spotlight
Guidelines for the Conduct of President-Elect Nominations and Elections
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - December 2011