UPDATE ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

THANK YOU, ADVOCATES!

This year, comments from psychologists made up the majority of all comments submitted to CMS on the CY23 Proposed Rule on the PFS! 

An incredible 12,771 comments were submitted to CMS through this page before the September 6, 11:59pm EDT deadline.

 This represents just over 50% of all comments submitted to CMS!

We are grateful for the time of every individual who joined us to ask CMS to strengthen access to mental and behavioral health services.

The action alerts below are now closed. CMS will review comments and issue a final rule in coming months. We will inform our networks of the final rule and this campaign's impact at that time. Please sign up for our alerts to stay informed on this issue, and visit this page to learn more about our current issues and campaigns.

 Submit a Message to the Biden Administration Asking for Its Newly Proposed Regulation to Protect and Strengthen Access to Psychological Services. 

Take action today by clicking on a button to personalize and send a pre-populated message:

Note: All the above messages contain the same core requests to the Biden Administration. Their opening paragraphs have been tailored to reflect different perspectives, to make it clear to the Administration that these comments are being made by individuals, rather than an organization.

Why Is This Issue Important?

The annual Physician Fee Schedule rule has serious implications across the health care field – to researchers, clinicians, educators, and students alike. It often sets the benchmark for how other insurance programs cover and reimburse for specific services and sets the standard for how new and emerging forms of treatment are covered. Compared to previous years, this year’s Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule has a particular focus on mental and behavioral health. This means that all representing the fields of psychology and behavioral health have a unique opportunity to elevate psychologists’ voice and the key role they play in mental health treatment.

This year's proposal has consequential provisions which need improvement, including:

• Needing to recognize the importance of providing training based in psychological science to behavioral caregivers, to improve outcomes for people with disabilities, behavioral disorders, and more.
• Creation of new service codes that must be revised to reflect the services performed by and the contributions of psychologists and psychological science.

It also has positive provisions which might not become reality unless you speak up for them, including:

• Giving psychologists flexibility to participate in treatment teams through evidence-based models of integrated care. 
• Expanding access to and coordination of mental health services in rural and underserved areas by enhancing the psychology workforce.
• Expanding and preserving access to telehealth services beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency.

How Many Comments Has Your State Submitted?

Consult the table below to see how many comments from your state have been submitted to CMS through this page. This table will be updated every Tuesday and Friday through August 26th. After that, the table will be updated daily (M-F) until the comment period closes on September 6th at 11:59pm EDT. Please contact Doris Parfaite-Claude, MPP with any additional questions.

Total Comments Submitted: 12,771

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