The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) has launched a projectopens in new window to “examine current challenges accessing behavioral health care services due to limited behavioral health practitioner participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace insurance programs.” The project will result in a report with recommendations for policymakers for increasing participation in these programs.
Four psychologists, including former APA President Jennifer Kelly, PhD, ABPP, and London Breedlove, PsyD, are on the committee developing the report. APA nominated both Kelly and Breedlove for the committee. More information on the committee’s members and its meetings is posted on their websiteopens in new window.
The committee is soliciting inputopens in new window on “factors that incentivize or disincentivize behavioral health care providers participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace programs, with attention to provider type (e.g., physician, psychologist, advanced practice nurse, and social worker).”
The APA Practice and Advocacy offices urge psychologists to take advantage of this unique opportunity to respond to this open-ended request for input, as the NASEM committee’s report is likely to heavily influence consideration of federal and state policies affecting behavioral health professionals’ participation in these programs.
When providing input, we recommend that you:
- Do not include personally identifiable or HIPAA protected information, as all comments and materials shared with the committee will be made publicly available.
- Do identify the state you’re writing from.
- Do identify if your comments are about managed care programs (Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care plans, or Marketplace plans) or about fee-for-service Medicare and Medicaid.