ARLINGTON, Va. Jan. 5, 2017 – The American Psychiatric Association (APA) today issued a letter to Congressional leaders to ensure that Americans with mental health and substance use disorders continue to have access to needed care.
The letter states:
January 5, 2017
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker
U.S....
ARLINGTON, Va. Jan. 3, 2017 – APA President Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D., began a new position today as Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In her new role, she will lead a large, research-oriented department whose faculty members practice and conduct research in psychiatry and behavioral health, including depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders and substance use disorders. Oquendo was previously Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.
“I am excited to join the psychiatry faculty at Penn Medicine and lead this accomplished team,” Oquendo said. “Together we can discover new ways to treat mental illness and offer the highest quality care to our patients.”
Dr. Oquendo graduated from Tufts University in 1980 and...
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ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 15, 2016 – Two new studies looked at how two federal laws — the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), — impacted access to coverage for patients with mental illness. The research, published online today in Psychiatric Services in Advance, also suggests remaining challenges.
Researcher and sole author Peter Phalen, M.A., with the University of Indianapolis, looked at health insurance use following implementation of the Affordable Care Act and found that people with moderate mental illness benefited significantly from the law. Yet people with serious mental illness did not show similar benefits.
Phalen examined short-term changes in rates of health insurance...
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ARLINGTON, Va. Dec. 13, 2016 – President Barack Obama today signed the 21st Century Cures Act, far-reaching legislation with numerous provisions intended to reform and improve the nation’s mental health care system. APA President Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D., witnessed the signing.
“It was an honor to see the president sign this significant piece of legislation,” Oquendo said. “It has been a long journey to get to this day and we should enjoy this moment. This legislation will go a long way in helping our patients, but that does not mean our work is over,” she said. “We will continue to work with the Administration, Congress and other stakeholders to improve quality and access to care for people with mental health and substance use disorders.”
The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical...
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ARLINGTON, Va. Dec. 7, 2016 – The American Psychiatric Association (APA) applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the 21st Century Cures Act, far-reaching legislation with numerous provisions intended to reform and improve the nation’s mental health care system. The legislation was approved by the House on Nov. 30 and now heads to President Obama for his anticipated signature.
“This long-awaited and much needed mental health reform will help to increase access to care and improve the quality of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders, especially for the 13 million Americans living with serious mental illness,” said APA President Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D. “The bill will toughen enforcement of existing parity laws, helping to ensure that mental health care services are covered just like other...
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