APA this weekend issued a statement congratulating President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the 2020 election. The Associated Press and numerous other media outlets called the election for Biden and Harris over the weekend.
“[W]e welcome the opportunity to work with the Biden administration on concrete initiatives to increase access to high-quality mental health care for our patients,” APA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H., said in the statement. “APA has worked diligently this past year to expand the use of telehealth to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have pushed hard for enforcement of mental health parity and expanded funding for federal agencies tasked with addressing the mental health of the nation. Our work will continue as the impacts of COVID will be felt for years.”
In addition to expanded use of telehealth and mental health funding, APA will continue to advocate for the reversal of executive orders and regulations from the Trump administration that have prevented individuals from receiving mental health treatment, Geller said. APA will also continue to advocate for continuing the protections of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
On November 10, the ACA faces another legal challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court as proceedings on California vs. Texas are set to begin. The justices will listen to arguments on whether the ACA is unconstitutional following the 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which eliminated the tax penalty for individuals who failed to enroll for health insurance.
“Our members stand ready to work with the Biden administration and members of both parties to ensure through effective and sound policy that every American who needs high-quality mental health and substance use care will be able to access it,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A.
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