Psychologists Develop Two Potent New Predictors Of Suicide Risk
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As you know, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed rule on the 2011 Medicare fee schedule – and there is a lot at stake for practicing psychologists. As we [American Psychological Association Practice Organization - APAPO] have mentioned previously, in addition to reflecting an expected cut to all services as a result of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and changes to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) payments, the rule would have a significantly negative impact on psychological and other mental health services due to revisions to the medical economic index (MEI).
This week’s new workshops and conference announcements for healthcare professionals include events presented by Fort Worth Area Psychological Association, American Association for Cancer Research, American College of Forensic Examiners, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and John Demos. Please visit the Event Calendar for more detailed information.
On July 30th I sent you an information alert about the 2011 Medicare fee schedule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The proposed fee schedule included some expected reimbursement cuts to all provider services related to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and changes to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). However, an additional cut due to revisions to the medical economic index (MEI), while generally impacting all provider services across the board, will have a significant impact on psychological and other mental health services. Please read on for a specific Call To Action for Mental Health Professionals.
Children are natural psychologists. By the time they are in preschool, they understand that other people have desires, preferences, beliefs, and emotions. But how they learn this is not clear. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that children figure out another person’s preferences by using a topic you would think they do not encounter until college: statistics.
As you know, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published its proposed rule on the 2011 Medicare fee schedule, and our regulatory team has completed an analysis of the lengthy and complex regulation. In addition to reflecting an expected cut to all services as a result of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and changes to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) payments, the rule would significantly negatively impact psychological and other mental health services due to revisions to the medical economic index (MEI).
In a comprehensive new study of mental health status and the use of mental health services by Californians, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that nearly one in five adults in the state – about 4.9 million people – said they needed help for a mental or emotional health problem. In addition, approximately one in 25, or more than 1 million, reported symptoms associated with serious psychological distress (SPD), which includes the most serious kinds of diagnosable mental health disorders. Check the end of this report for a link to download the original UCLA research brief.
While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a warning of an increased risk of suicide for all epilepsy drugs, a new study shows that only certain drugs may increase the risk. The study is published in the July 27, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
As you may recall, in 2007 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented across-the-board cuts to provider reimbursements as a result of the five-year review regulatory process, which had a disproportionately negative impact on psychological services due to the way Medicare allocates value for services. Following the grassroots mobilization of practicing psychologists across the country, the APA Practice Organization was able to secure a legislative remedy by persuading Congress to restore 5% to Medicare psychotherapy services in 2008 and convincing both chambers to extend the provision again through the end of 2010.
BMED Report recently added a new Event Calendar. This provides announcements of upcoming national and international training opportunities for healthcare professionals that include continuing education, workshops, and conferences. The goal is to provide our readers will a valuable service and to give healthcare organizations an inexpensive way to announce their events to a large audience – and, not to mention, an unobtrusive and hopefully meaningful way to help fund website operations without aggravating readers with annoying in-your-face “pop up ads.”
As you know, a segment of practitioners have been randomly selected to participate in a critical survey of the psychotherapy codes as part of an important regulatory process of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), known as the Five-Year Review. For the first time in more than a decade, psychologists have an opportunity to participate in the process that determines how psychotherapy services will be valued and, ultimately, reimbursed by both Medicare and private insurance companies who view Medicare as a benchmark.
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a brief psychological screening instrument designed to measure symptoms of depression in primary care settings. Like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, Big Five Inventory, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale previously reviewed, the PHQ-9 is available to healthcare providers completely free of charge. Pfizer Inc., the legal copyright holder, explicitly states that “no permission [is] required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute [the PHQ-9].” Check the end of this report to download the PHQ-9.
While studies have shown that cognitive therapy is an effective treatment for depression, it has still not been clear the role therapists’ training and expertise plays in making treatment successful. A new study finds that depressed patients show more symptom improvement when their therapists more competently follow the guidelines for delivering cognitive therapy. The research appears in a recent issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
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