Federal News & Issues

APA Extends Sympathy to Victims of Texas Church Shooting; Decries Link to Mental Health

ARLINGTON, Va. — Today the American Psychiatric Association (APA) issued the following statement from its CEO and Medical Director, Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., in reaction to the deadly shooting in Texas that claimed the lives of 26 Americans and injured 20 more:

“We are deeply saddened by the senseless violence in a house of worship this weekend. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, the families, and the community of this tragedy. The president and lawmakers have made comments associating acts of violence with mental illness. Research has consistently shown that people with mental illness are not more likely to be perpetrators of violence, but more likely to be victims. If lawmakers believe it is a mental health issue why are they not seeking to ensure that more resources are being put into treating...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 7, 2017

U.S. Senators, Mental Health Advocates Among Recipients of the American Psychiatric Excellence (APEX) Awards

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the APA Foundation honored federal lawmakers, a journalist and a mental health activist Friday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the second annual American Psychiatric Excellent (APEX) awards. Roughly 240 people attended the awards luncheon.

The APEX awards celebrated those who have demonstrated the highest levels of mental health advocacy, working to improve mental health care and support all those affected by mental health and substance use disorders.

The APEX Award recipients included:

  • U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), co-sponsored the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act, which was enacted in 2016 and requires Health and Human Services to report on...
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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 3, 2017

APA Pledges to Help Curb Opioid Epidemic

ARLINGTON, Va. — In the wake of today’s release of the final report by the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and the Opioid Crisis, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) issued the following statement from APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A.:

“The APA welcomes the final report because it helps bring much-needed attention to this crisis. We are still reviewing the report’s contents for a full evaluation, but we stand ready to work with the administration, Congress and the states to help provide education, funding, training and support to address the opioid crisis. Our organization trains thousands of clinicians each year in the diagnosis and treatment of those with opioid use disorders. Additionally, we are an active partner in the Providers’ Clinical Support System for...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Nov 2, 2017

America’s Frontline Physicians Urge Immediate Reversal of Decision to Discontinue CSR Payments

Washington, D.C. — Our organizations, which represent more than 560,000 physicians and medical students nationwide, are alarmed by the President’s decision to abruptly take away financial support that aids low-income families in purchasing health care coverage. The decision to discontinue cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments stands to hurt the most vulnerable individuals and families, raising cost for them and the federal government.

This decision is not consistent with the Administration’s pledge to provide individuals and families with more options to secure affordable health care coverage. Elimination of CSR payments makes that goal harder, if not impossible, to achieve.

Our organizations call on the United State Senate and House of Representatives to take immediate action to restore these payments. A...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Oct 13, 2017

Group of 6 Statement on President Trump’s Health Care Executive Order

Our organizations, which represent more than 560,000 physicians and medical students nationwide, look forward to further analyzing the Executive Order issued today by President Donald J. Trump. It is important that policies proposed be thoroughly evaluated to determine their impact on individuals and our health care system more broadly. We look forward to submitting more formal comments through the rulemaking process as the Administration seeks to establish the regulatory framework to implement the goals of today’s Executive Order. However, our initial review raises serious concerns about its impact on our patients.

Our organizations share the President’s goal of increasing access to affordable health care coverage for more Americans and offering greater choice through a more competitive insurance marketplace so long as...

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Author: mbourdase - Published: Oct 12, 2017

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