At its March 2024 meeting, the APA Board of Trustees approved an adjustment to the APA rates for the 2025 dues year. While not an easy decision, this adjustment will facilitate our ongoing pursuit of innovation, enabling continued complimentary and discounted cutting-edge practice resources, scholarly publications, research, continuing education opportunities, and avenues for networking and collaboration in person and across our digital platforms. Moreover, your dues contribute substantially to bolstering U.S. advocacy efforts – along with members and district branches, we’ve had some significant wins over the last few years advocating on behalf of psychiatrists at the Federal, state, and regulatory level on issues impacting our profession. Just some our recent successes include:

• Secured federal and state funding for the integration of behavioral health and primary care for the Collaborative Care Model.
• Addressed health equity with an increase in funding of the Minority Fellowship Program and maternal mortality programs.
• Elevated the psychiatric workforce with increased Medicare Graduate Medical Education slots and reauthorization of the Conrad 30 program.
• Protected patients by opposing psychologist and non-physician prescribing privileges of psychotropic medications.
• Increased Medicare reimbursement for outpatient psychotherapy and psychiatrists providing care to patients with complex or chronic conditions in 2024.
• Enhanced transparency and enforcement of the Federal parity law to ensure health plan compliance.
• Expanded access to telehealth and secured payment for these services.

The Administration remains steadfast in its commitment to thoughtfully managing members’ dues. However, the impact of inflation in recent years has resulted in increased costs across APA programs. A 5% adjustment was determined to best allow APA to manage costs and work toward a balanced budget.

Since 2016, the Consumer Price Index, a tool to help track changes in prices and inflation over time, has increased 26.8%, while APA dues have only increased 6.1%. It was important to adjust dues to offset inflationary pressures and increasing operating expenses to ensure APA can continue delivering high-quality services to its members. It was determined a 5% adjustment would enable APA to manage increasing costs and meet the objectives of the Board of Trustees and Finance and Budget Committee to maintain a balanced budget.

All rates will increase by approximately 5%. Because the Operations Manual dictates declining percentage discounts off the full General Member rate for the first six years of General membership, and life member (those grandfathered into the Rule of 95 that was sunset after 2021), retired and semi-retired rates are also distinct calculated discounts off the full General Member rate. 2025 rates can be viewed here.

The Board of Trustees reviews recommendations of the Finance and Budget Committee on an annual basis. Decisions about dues may be based on APA’s revenue, expenses, and/or other prevailing factors for the previous, current, and following year.

District Branches independently determine their dues rates, and any modifications will be communicated directly to their respective members.

Yes. The dues were adjusted for all member classes for dues paying members.

Yes. New dues paying members will be paying the same dues rates as renewing members. New and reinstating members joining between October and December 2024 will pay the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2025, both at the 2025 dues rates.

As always, you may contact the APA Membership Department and your Membership Specialist will work with you to set up a payment plan or determine whether you qualify for dues relief or a dues waiver.

The first renewal notices will be emailed and sent by postal mail in October 2024 (postal mail for members outside the U.S. will be in December). Anyone renewing member enrolled in a scheduled payment plan will be charged 2025 dues rates beginning in January 2025, and no action is necessary to remain on a scheduled payment plan. Anyone on a scheduled payment plan who would like to pay dues in full should contact his/her/their Membership Specialist or email [email protected].

Unfortunately, that is not an option currently.