APA Blogs
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APA Access Agenda Update: Connecting Patients to Care and Coverage
During the pandemic, Americans have experienced higher rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use. Our country needs to meet the increasing demand for early identification and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. The federal government took a tremendous step forward in December, when it created new authority for the Department of Labor to ensure that mental health and substance use disorders were covered by insurance. Here are three more solutions to help meet the demand by connecting patients to care.
APA Marks International Women’s Day; Highlights Women Psychiatrists Whose Work Exemplifies Service to Disadvantaged Groups
March 8 is the International Day of the Woman, a worldwide celebration of women’s achievements, and an opportunity to boost awareness of the struggle for gender equality. This year, APA is pleased to mark the occasion by calling attention to the past and present winners of the APA Assembly Award for Excellence in Service and Advocacy. This award, which originated in 2016, is presented by the Women of the Assembly to a woman psychiatrist in the APA whose career has demonstrated excellence in serving and advocating for communities which are underserved. Â
Why the New APA-Backed Federal Parity Law Is a Game Changer for Patients & Psychiatrists
APA-backed federal legislation enacted in December 2020 gave the federal government powerful new authority to enforce the law that requires insurers to provide the same access to psychiatric treatment as other medical care for patients they cover. For anyone who’s struggled to find psychiatric care, or has found it too expensive to afford, this law, strengthening mental health parity, is a game changer. Â
APA Unveils New Strategic Plan on Mental Health Equity
The American Psychiatric Association (APA)’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity (DDHE) has launched a new strategic plan to work toward achieving diversity and mental health equity: Charting Excellence Through Partnerships: Strategic Goals for the Division of Diversity and Health Equity.
APA Member Survey Highlights Benefits of Telehealth Use During Pandemic
Since March, the public health crisis caused by COVID-19 has changed many things about our day-to-day lives, including the way our patients access care and the way psychiatrists practice medicine. These changes have been driven by distancing guidelines meant to curtail the spread of the coronavirus and protect doctors, patients and their families.