News for Practitioners
Here are some articles that are currently in the news and of public interest.
APA Testifies on Care of Veterans and Returning Service Members
by APA Practice Organization Communications Staff
Randy Phelps, PhD, deputy executive director of the APA Practice Directorate, testified on April 9 before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs about efforts to recruit and retain psychologists in the VA health care system and related APA initiatives.
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Is Your Medicare Carrier Changing?
by Government Relations Staff
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun to shift away from using separate regional carriers for Part A and Part B claims processing. As a result, psychologists may find their claims, provider relations and local coverage policies handled by a new company.
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Ready or Not? NPI Deadline is May 23
by Communications Staff
If you are not using your National Provider Identifier number (NPI) by May 23, 2008, you risk having your claims rejected by all health insurers with which you do business. And if you are a "covered entity" under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you may be subject to penalties of $100 to $25,000 per violation.
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New Practice Directorate Executive Director Thanks Senators
by Communications Staff
APA Executive Director for Professional Practice Katherine Nordal, PhD, joined members of Congress and several hundred other advocates for strong mental health legislation in honoring Senators Domenici and Kennedy.
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Georgia Hosts Mind/Body Health Fair
by Communications Staff
The Georgia Psychological Association (GPA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) hosted a pilot health fair for APA's Public Education Campaign (PEC) for Mind/Body Health. The campaign positions psychologists as experts trained to help the public understand the intersection of psychological and physical health.
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400 Practitioners Become Annual Fund Partners
by APA Practice Organization
Four hundred APA Practice Organization Annual Fund Partners generously contributed in 2007 to the future of professional psychology.
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Statement of Randy Phelps, Ph.D., to the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
APA Practice Organization
Transcript of the statement of Dr. Phelps to the Senate Commitee on Veterans Affairs, during the hearing on "Making the VA the Workplace of Choice for Health Care Providers."
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Statement of Jennifer L. Strauss, Ph.D., to the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
APA Practice Organization
Transcript of the statement of Dr. Strauss to the Senate Commitee on Veterans Affairs, during the hearing on "Making the VA the Workplace of Choice for Health Care Providers."
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Parity Legislation Achieves Historic Milestone
by Communications Staff
On March 5, the House of Representatives passed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007, moving the U.S. closer than ever to ensuring equal treatment in insurance coverage for millions of Americans with mental health and substance use disorders.
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Calling on Congress: Ensure Patient Privacy in Health Information Technology Bills
by Government Relations Staff
In recent meetings on Capitol Hill, hundreds of psychology leaders called for privacy protections in health information technology (HIT) legislation. The meetings bolstered ongoing legislative advocacy efforts by the APA Practice Organization.
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Teamwork Helps Fix Medicare Payment Glitch in Georgia
by Communications Staff
In early February, psychologists in Georgia noticed that they were being reimbursed by Medicare for certain services at a much lower rate than usual. By working with staff for the APA Practice Organization, the error was speedily resolved.
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A Matter of Law: Providing an Interpreter for the Deaf under ADA
by Legal and Regulatory Affairs Staff
Are you aware that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) often requires psychologists to obtain and pay for the cost of interpreters for patients who are deaf?
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Practitioners Face Risks in Not Using Their NPI
by Legal and Regulatory Affairs Staff
Practitioners are required to begin using their National Provider Identifier number (NPI) by May 23, 2008. Beyond having their insurance claims rejected, practitioners who fail to use their NPI also risk enforcement action.
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Update on Medicare Payment and Mental Health Parity
by Government Relations Staff
The APA Practice Organization's (APAPO) top legislative priorities for 2008 involve confronting Medicare payment problems facing psychologists and achieving mental health parity in private sector insurance.
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APA Survey Finds Rising Stress Takes a Toll
by APA Practice Organization Staff
The results are in: Americans are increasingly stressed out, and it's affecting their health, work and relationships. See what the APA learned in its 2007 "Stress in America" survey.
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Senate Passes Mental Health Parity Act
by Government Relations Staff
The U. S. Senate passed the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (S. 558) by unanimous consent on September 18. The Senate bill requires full parity between mental health and medical benefits for all aspects of health insurance plan coverage, including day/visit limits, dollar limits, coinsurance, copayments, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.
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Dr. Russ Newman Announces His Departure
by Communications Staff
Russ Newman, PhD, JD, recently announced that he is leaving his executive management position at the American Psychological Association (APA) at the end of 2007 to become Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Alliant International University.
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CMS Again Extends Deadline for Providers to Update NPI Application Information
by Legal and Regulatory Affairs Staff
Did you happen to miss the July 16 deadline for updating information on your National Provider Identifier (NPI) application before some of this information is made available to the public? If so, you have a reprieve.
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Register Now: Business Strategies for Successful Practice
The APA Practice Organization and the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP) present...
Tools for Growth: Business Strategies for Successful Practice. This 2007 APA Convention program will cover the practical, concrete skills you need to provide psychological services in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
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The National Provider Identifier: What You Need to Know and Do Now
by Legal/Regulatory Affairs and Communications Staff
The Medicare program will not require participating providers to use only their National Provider Identifier (NPI) when submitting Medicare claims as of May 23, 2007. Medicare providers may continue temporarily to use their existing identifier numbers (referred to as "legacy numbers" or "UPIN"), or use their NPI, or submit both numbers on their claims. However, private health insurers may require you to use your NPI as of May 23 in submitting all claims, even if you bill using paper claims.
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