Federal News & Issues

Joint Statement from the National Council for Behavioral Health, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America and American Psychiatric Association

A mental health coalition today urged the federal government to provide personal protection equipment (PPE) to all behavioral health care professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter, signed by The National Council for Behavioral Health, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Mental Health America (MHA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that the lack of PPE is putting behavioral health care workers at risk.

The level of anxiety among Americans continues to rise due to concerns over risks associated with COVID-19. While some people struggle to cope with the isolation caused by lockdowns and restrictions on...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Apr 1, 2020

APA Praises Mental Health Provisions in COVID-19 Stimulus Aid Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) a $2 trillion stimulus aid package to provide fiscal relief for Americans and businesses in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill, which passed the Senate Wednesday, includes many provisions supported by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that will enable health care professionals and communities to better respond to the pandemic, including some that will bolster mental health care.

“You can’t have a healthy economy without healthy people—and that includes mental health,” said APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D. “This stimulus bill will strengthen our ability to help the millions of Americans with existing mental illnesses or substance use disorders, and more with...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Mar 27, 2020

New Poll: COVID-19 Impacting Mental Well-Being: Americans Feeling Anxious, Especially for Loved Ones; Older Adults are Less Anxious

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly half of Americans (48%) are anxious about the possibility of getting coronavirus, COVID-19, and nearly four in ten Americans (40%) are anxious about becoming seriously ill or dying from coronavirus, but far more Americans (62%) are anxious about the possibility of family and loved ones getting coronavirus. This is according to a new national poll released today by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

More than one-third of Americans (36%) say coronavirus is having a serious impact on their mental health and most (59%) feel coronavirus is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives. Most adults are concerned that the coronavirus will have a serious negative impact on their finances (57%) and almost half are worried about running out of food, medicine, and/or supplies. Two-...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Mar 25, 2020

APA Pledges Continued Support for Affordable Care Act on its 10th Anniversary

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ten years ago today, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. In addition to its main objective of expanding health insurance coverage to 30 million Americans, the reform package also included a number of elements related to psychiatric care, which have ultimately increased access to treatment for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorder.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) supported the ACA at the time and has monitored its implementation, particularly as it pertains to ensuring mental health and substance use services remain a part of the essential health benefits and that these benefits are provided parity protections offered as part of the health insurance exchanges established by the law. As legal challenges to...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Mar 23, 2020

America’s Frontline Physicians Recommend Further Actions to Address COVID-19

Washington, D.C. — Today America’s frontline physicians issued a series of recommendations about steps that should be taken to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Our organizations represent more than 600,000 physicians and medical students serving on the front lines of health care. As the nation’s frontline physicians, our members will be diagnosing, testing, treating and counseling millions of patients and their families as the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, spreads throughout the United States and worldwide. They treat patients in rural, urban, wealthy and low-income communities, and are the foundation of the American health care system.

During this unprecedented national emergency, our organizations are committed to doing everything possible to prevent and slow the spread of the virus while ensuring that our...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Mar 18, 2020

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