Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society has consistently advocated for proposed legislation in the PA House of Representatives and the PA Senate that would improve access to crucial medications and procedures by easing barriers. Most lawmakers and government officials are not trained in medicine and are making decisions on legislation that may affect our specialty and how we provide patient care. It is important that psychiatrists band together and aggressively take on the role of patient advocate.
Who are we?
The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society Political Action Committee (PaPS-PAC), on behalf of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society, represents the political interests of Pennsylvania psychiatrists and their patients. Funds contributed are used to show bipartisan support to our friends in the Pennsylvania legislature who champion the causes and concerns important to psychiatry and medicine in our state.
What does PaPS-PAC do for me?
By working through the political process and supporting candidates, and current Pennsylvania Representatives and Senators committed to assuring the health and wellbeing of individuals suffering from mental health and substance use disorders, PaPS-PAC is advancing the interests of psychiatry at the state level. For example:
- The Society communicates regularly with key policymakers within the current Administration, often solicited for member clinical expertise on proposed policies affecting individuals with mental health and substance use needs.
- Scope of Practice: working with our coalition partners to prevent scope of practice expansion for Certified Registered Nurse practitioners, Physician Assistants, and other allied non-physician health care professionals.
- Telemedicine: laboring closely with the APA, and various national and statewide provider stakeholder groups to ensure that access to quality, evidence-based, confidential, and patient safe telepsychiatry treatment is available for all individuals seeking it and that providers are compensated appropriately.
- Substance Use Legislation: advocate for the expansion of Medication Assisted Treatment in all practice settings, ensuring that all treatment options are available for those individuals seeking treatment for their substance use needs.
- Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use Treatment: opposition to proposed legislation that mandates expansion for any current treatment laws to include the involuntary commitment of individuals for involuntary substance use treatment.
- Expansion of Medical Marijuana Program: continued vigilance in opposing arbitrary, non-clinically based additions to the list of eligible conditions for the use of medical marijuana across the commonwealth by the PA Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. The Society has petitioned to remove anxiety disorder, Opiate Use Disorder, and other related mental health conditions from the list of eligible conditions.
Why is it important for me to support the PaPS-PAC?
It is important that the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society remains engaged in policy debate in the political arena. We often face well-organized, well-funded and determined adversaries who expend resources on capturing political clout. This means, we must be just as prepared. Our legislative partners will stand with us in support of what is in the best interest of patients and practices.
How can I help the PaPS-PAC?
As a medical specialty provider organization, we stand as a uniform voice for the house medicine. By making a yearly contribution or establishing a monthly donation to the PaPS-PAC, you are ensuring that the house of medicine remains strong in our advocacy efforts.