APA Advocacy Day Report
APA hosted this year's Advocacy Day event in Washington, DC on April 11 through 13. There were over 70 participants. Illinois was represented by Ken Busch MD, Louis Kraus MD, and IPS President Jagannathan Srinivasaraghavan MD.

We received updates on key legislative issues such as federal mental health funding cuts, assistance for returning military and their families, and Medicare issues such as the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient care in psychiatric hospitals, physician payment, and the effort to include psychologists as "physicians" under Medicare. Participants also reviewed regulatory developments on the implementation of mental health parity and comprehensive health care reform legislation. 

IPS members met with Congressional Staff from the following offices: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-11), Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL-6), Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL-18), Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL-19), Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL-3), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL-1), and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL). We thank Rep. Danny Davis (IL-D-7) and Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-D-5) for meeting with us on an individual basis.

We learned that the political landscape remains badly divided on Capitol Hill. It is not a good environment for cooperation. Democrats and Republicans are polarized on most issues. The Tea Party establishment has been able to influence policy decisions in the Republican Party as well as influence House Speaker John Boehner. Republican incumbents in Congress such as Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) have to face strong primary challenges from Tea Party candidates. 

All eyes are on the 2012 elections. The U.S. Presidential election will be very competitive. It will depend on many variables over the course of the next 18 months and most events will be unpredictable. The Republicans have a good chance to hold the House and take over the Senate. There are 23 Democratic seats up for election in the Senate and 5 states are already in trouble (ND, VA, MO, NE, FL). There are 10 Republican seats up in the Senate for 2012 and all are located in very Republican States. 

During our visits on the Hill we observed Congressional staff to be split on some of our issues along party lines. Republican staffers appeared more supportive than Democrats of supporting our efforts to oppose psychologists as "physicians" under Medicare. Democrats were more supportive than Republicans of the parity initiative of eliminating  the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient care under Medicare.

All of the offices were supportive of providing assistance for returning military and their families. Although staffers listened to our issues about federal mental health funding and physician payment, they reiterated budgetary constraints were dominating all areas of the federal budget.

APA hosted a reception on Tuesday night for Members of Congress and their Staff. It was an excellent chance to network on an informal basis with some of the Representatives and their Staff.

We thank APA and Department of Government Relations (DGR) for a well-organized and successful Advocacy Day. It gave us the opportunity to advocate about our issues at the Illinois Congressional Offices and share with our colleagues. In the process we learned about the political landscape in Washington and on the Hill. We hope to schedule follow-up visits in the district offices over the Summer especially during Congressional recess in August.