APA’s Government, Policy, and Advocacy Update (April 2024)
APA Staff Urge CMS to Make Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent
Recently, APA staff spoke with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staff to request that they make the telehealth flexibilities introduced during the COVID-19 public health emergency permanent.
On January 29, APA staff joined 11 other organizations on a call with CMS. Participants from APA, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Geriatrics Society expressed their support for payment parity for telehealth services. They cited parity as a top priority for their organizations to ensure that physician practices can continue providing vital care via telemedicine in 2025 and beyond.
APA staff also met with CMS individually on February 5 to reinforce this message about telehealth payment parity. They requested that CMS allow physicians to continue using the same payment codes as they do when seeing patients in person. Further, they asked CMS to make permanent virtual supervision of residents and underscored the value of such flexibility when a resident is providing virtual or in-person care.
APA followed up on these meetings with a letter in support of these and other priorities for CMS to consider as the agency begins to write its proposed rule on the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
APA Provides Comments to SAMHSA on Improving Maternal Mental Health
The Office on Women’s Mental Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a request for comments on behalf of its Task Force on Maternal Mental Health on questions related to the prevention and treatment of maternal mental health conditions. In its response, APA emphasized that perinatal women often go without care for their mental health conditions and that equitable care must be prioritized in the effort to curb maternal mortality.
“For the first time in 2021, the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States was underlying mental health conditions,” stated APA’s letter, which was signed by APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A.
APA supported increased screening during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as connecting pregnant and postpartum people to safe treatment spaces. “An example of a safe treatment center is the Salvation Army in Honolulu, which has residential treatment for pregnant people with addiction, where moms can keep children with them, and an outpatient facility where pregnant persons can get support and supportive services, including prenatal care,” the letter stated.
APA noted that the maternal mortality rate is twice as high for Black women compared with White women. Research shows that women from marginalized backgrounds are distrustful of health care professionals and may choose not to disclose important information. APA pointed to the need to provide culturally appropriate care, which could be done by employing those with lived experience who represent the communities in which they reside.
Further, APA pointed out some evidence-based interventions that could improve maternal mental health, such as the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms. The program provides real-time behavioral health consultations for health professionals caring for perinatal patients. ■
