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APA urges Congress to protect access to mental health care
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The APA recently issued a letter to Congress to ensure continued access to care for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders.
“On behalf of the APA, the national medical specialty association representing over 36,500 psychiatric physicians nationwide, we urge you to support continued and expanded access to quality evidence-based mental health care services,” Maria A. Oquendo, MD, PhD, president of the APA, and Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and medical director of the APA, wrote.
In the past, obtaining the proper insurance coverage necessary for care was a struggle for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, Oquendo and Levin explained.
Current law has alleviated that burdensome process and increased access to appropriate and evidence-based mental health care for many individuals.
“As Congress considers significant reforms to health insurance coverage this year, it is critical that any such reforms do not undo the gains which have been made over the past several years for individuals with mental illness, and that any such reforms only further enhance coverage and access to lifesaving evidence-based care,” they wrote.
The organization expressed their support and eagerness to work with congressional leaders in the coming months.