|
|
APA Advocacy Action Alert: Urge Congress to prevent steep Medicare payment cuts in 2021
Posted: November 23, 2020
Unless Congress takes action, Medicare reimbursement rates for services provided by psychologists and many other healthcare providers will be cut sharply next year. This is a result of changes that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have proposed making in regards to how Medicare pays for routine physician office visits.
Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN) introduced H.R. 8702, the “Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020,” to prevent these cuts. The legislation would protect psychologists and other Medicare providers from cuts by providing temporary supplemental payments for the next two years to ensure that reimbursements for services were no lower than 2020 levels.
We urge psychologists to ask their House members to cosponsor H.R. 8702 and to ask their Senators to work to enact similar legislation before the year ends.
The CMS-proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2021 includes an updated coding structure for routine outpatient visits provided by physicians and certain nonphysician providers, known as evaluation and management (E/M) services. The new E/M billing codes will be simplified and paid at a higher rate than the current codes. Because federal law requires budget neutrality in Medicare payment policy changes, CMS proposed deep cuts to a wide range of services in 2021 to offset the increased payments for outpatient E/M services.
Our nation’s health care system, its patients, and its providers are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of this crisis, Congress can provide a critical reprieve for psychologists and other healthcare providers from substantial payment reductions by passing H.R. 8702.
ACT NOW |
|
2020 Ethics Workshop and Annual Meeting Recap
Thanks to all who joined our CPA Annual Meeting this past Friday. We were thrilled to see so many members join and congratulations to Sarah McConnell, Dena Sorkin, Leslie LeFevre, and Chaitra Wirta-Leiker who won an Amazon gift card!
You can view the recording of the meeting here. We encourage you to become further involved with CPA by joining a Committee, Task Force, Liaison or Division. Please submit your interest here: https://www.coloradopsych.org/committees
A special congratulations to Dr. Julie Jacobs, winner of the Dr. Sarah Burgamy APA Citizen Psychologist Award! Julie, thank you for your dedication to help CPA pass groundbreaking legislation to expand mental health services and ensure the safety of the patients we serve.
We look forward to updating you on the development and implementation of our strategic plan and other initiatives as the year progresses.
Warmly,
CPA Board of Directors
Interested in viewing the Annual Meeting or purchasing the recording of the Ethics Workshop? Access below!
|
APA: Multicultural Virtual Summit November 6, 2020
Posted: October 5, 2020
Join us on Friday, November 6 from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm for a full day Multicultural Virtual Summit: Difficult Dialogues and Healing Conversations.
Earn 6.0 CE credits.
This virtual summit is only offered to attend live.
Hosted by the Minnesota Psychological Association (MPA) and Minnesota Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT)
Keynote Topic: Healing Gendered Trauma: An Intersectional and Systemic Perspective
Keynote Panel Topic: Supporting the Psychological Well-Being of Refugees: Somali Community in Minnesota and Access to Mental Health
Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available!
Details and registration: http://bit.ly/2020MultiSummit
View more information: https://www.mnpsych.org/multicultural-conference |
PSYPACT Update: ASPPB E.Passport Application Fee Waived until December 31, 2020
UPDATED: October 28, 2020
Are you interested in practicing telepsychology across state lines? As you may know, Colorado is a participating member state of the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT). This interstate compact allows psychologists licensed in PSYPACT participating states to see clients/patients in other PSYPACT participating states via telepsychology and/or temporary in-person, face-to-face practice. Psychologists can apply to practice telepsychology by obtaining an ASPPB E. Passport and an Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and/or they can apply to practice temporarily by obtaining an ASPPB IPC and a Temporary Authorization to Practice (TAP).
The Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded ASPPB federal funding to help provide support for the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). As part of the 2020 funding, and in hopes of increasing access to mental health care services via telepsychology, ASPPB has announced that the E.Passport application fee ($400) will be waived through December 31, 2020. If you are interested in applying, you are encouraged to start your E.Passport application prior to the end of the year to take advantage of the fee waiver. Please contact [email protected] with any questions you have. Additional information about the application process and how to start an application can be found on the PSYPACT website at www.psypact.org. |
LAST CHANCE: Register for the CPA 2020 Virtual Ethics Workshop
Friday, October 30, 2020
Workshop: 8:30 AM - 12:00PM | Annual Meeting: 12:00PM -1:00 PM
Virtual Event
CEs Included: 3.0 CEs
Mark your calendar for our upcoming 2020 Ethics Workshop in conjunction with the CPA Annual Meeting!
Ethical Practice in the Age of COVID-19
Description: Program content focuses on ethical, legal, statutory or regulatory policies, guidelines, and standards that impact psychological practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Learning Objectives:
- Objective 1: Discuss the state regulatory mandates and recommendations related to mental health practitioners as a result of of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Objective 2: Discuss ethical considerations and issues that may arise for mental health practitioners as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic including informed consent, confidentiality/privacy, and for both in-person and telehealth services
- Objective 3: Discuss ways COVID-19 requires adaptations in how treatment/therapy is implemented
- Objective 4: Describe two ways COVID-19 could affect practitioners who do assessments/ evaluations including data collection and when is it acceptable to make adaptations to standardized protocols for test administration (including neuropsychological and cognitive evaluations, and child custody and court evaluations)
Speakers:
Moderators: Dr. Natalie Vona, PhD; Dr. Randi Smith, MSW, PhD; Dr. John Holmberg, Psy.D., P.C.
- Karen McGovern, J.D.
- Dr. Thomas Dunn, PhD
- Dr. Natalie Vona, PhD
- Dr. Alyssa Oland, PhD
- Dr. Gary Eisenberg, PhD
- Dr. Joy Goldberg, PhD
- Dr. Kate McNamara, PhD
- Dr. Susan Lewis, J.D., PhD
Schedule of Events:
8:30AM - 8:40AM - Welcome with Dr. Natalie Vona
8:40AM - 9:15AM - Discuss Executive Order with Karen McGovern
- How did the Executive Order come about
- What are the expectations of clinicians
- Discuss relevant complaints
- Questions
9:15AM - 9:45AM - Crisis Standards of Care with Dr. Thomas Dunn
- How standards of care change
- How to do our work safely
9:45AM - 10:00AM - Adaptations to Care Adaptations with Dr. Natalie Vona and Dr. Alyssa Oland
- Adaptations when seeing patients in the office
- Adaptations to practice when using Telehealth
- Adaptations to care and implementation of services when working with children
- a. Limits on toys/art supplies used during in person sessions
- b. Praise child for wearing mask, positive messages about mask (ex., like pattern)
- c. Flexibility with telehealth when working with children
10:00AM - 10:15AM - Questions - All Presenters
10:15AM - 10:30AM - BREAK
10:30AM - 11:15AM - Panel Presentation on Assessment
- Conducting virtual assessments with Dr. Gary Eisenberg
- Child evaluations with Dr. Joy Goldberg
- Child Custody Evaluations with Dr. Kate McNamara
- Forensic / court with Dr. Susan Lewis
11:15AM - 12:00PM - Q & A with Panelists and attendees
12:00PM - 1:00PM - CPA Annual Meeting
Level of Programming: Intermediate
|
|
|
|
|
<< first < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > last >>
|
|
Page 7 of 71 |
