IPS meets with Leaders
Legislative Session of the Area IV Council
This meeting was held on February 26, 2011 at the O'Hare Hilton.
From Left to right: Dan Anzia, MD, Dan Yohanna, MD, Susan Garrett, State Senator (D-29th District), Meryl Camin Sosa, Esq., Ken Busch, MD
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Meeting on Capitol Hill
Meeting on Capitol Hill with Congressman Mike Quigley and Professor Dinesh Bhugra, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom and Dr Kenneth Busch.
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Meeting with the IPS Council
State Representative Elect Ann Williams came to meet with the IPS Council their meeting on Tuesday, November 23.
From Left: Ken Busch, MD; Amanda Kleinman, MD; Pam Hazard, MD; Sheldon Miller, MD; State Representative, Ann Williams; Ashok Van, MD; Lisa Rone, MD; Anna Costakis, MD; Peter Alahi, MD
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August 3, 2010
Medicare Fraud Prevention Amendment
Dr. Daniel Martinez, Chair of the IPS Child and Adolescent Committee, and Executive Director Meryl Sosa met with Congressman Peter Roskam (R-6th Congressional District). Dr. Martinez is a constituent in Congressman Roskam’s district. Congressman Roskam said that he has been a long time supporter of Serenity House which provides residential and out patient substance use treatment and support groups. He said that during the upcoming Congressional session there will be a great deal of pressure for cost savings. In 2009, Congressman Roskam introduced the Medicare Fraud Prevention Amendment which would implement the same technologies that credit card companies use to stop fraudulent transactions before they are processed. According to Congressman Roskam, nearly 10% of all federal healthcare payments are lost to waste, fraud and abuse, totaling some $60 billion each year. On the other hand, global credit card transactions process more than $11 trillion a year and yet the global credit card fraud rate is only 0.047%. Congressman Roskam feels that advocacy organizations must “reorient” their thinking to eliminate cost drivers that do not add metrics regarding patient care and physician compensation. Rather, policies that can save money should be highlighted. As examples of cost drivers that are not helpful are initiatives that would not help in making patients better and that do not increase physician compensation. We appreciated Congressman Roskam taking the time out of his busy schedule to meet with us.
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August 2, 2010
Confidence in Long Term Care Insurance Act
Dr. Ken Busch and Executive Director Meryl Sosa met with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-9th Congressional District) and her District Director, Leslie Combs. Congresswoman Schakowsky is an outstanding leader in Congress and a wonderful friend of IPS and APA. She is a strong advocate for health care reform and mental health parity. It is very important to the Congresswoman that something is done to change healthcare programs so that individuals with substance use problems receive appropriate treatment. Congresswoman Schakowsky introduced, in the U.S. House of Representatives, The Confidence in Long Term Care Insurance Act which would strengthen consumer protections in the long term care insurance market. This bill would ensure that individuals actually get the protection for which they paid. The Congresswoman also introduced The Health Insurance Rate Authority Act which would hold insurance companies in check from raising insurance premiums. We applaud Congresswoman Schakowsky for her exceptional work on health care and mental health advocacy. We look forward to working with the Congresswoman on other initiatives.
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June 21, 2010
Fundraiser for Dan Seals
IPS Member Louis Kraus, MD had an opportunity to meet with Vice President Joseph R. Biden at a fundraiser for Dan Seals, Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress for the 10th Congressional District held on June 21, 2010. Dr. Kraus spoke about the importance of child psychiatry and the need for additional support for increasing the number of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Vice President Biden thanked Dr. Kraus for his support of Dan Seals. The 10th Congressional District race is a key race in the country as it is an open seat due to the decision of Mark Kirk to run for the Illinois Senate seat, formerly held by President Obama.
IPS Executive Director, Meryl Camin Sosa, briefly met with Senator Richard Durbin, a longtime supporter of the American Psychiatric Association and IPS, at the fundraiser for Dan Seals. Senator Durbin was a key champion of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). Ms. Sosa took the opportunity to share some information regarding health insurance companies trying to circumvent or reinterpret the MHPAEA. Senator Durbin urged IPS to remain in contact with his office and offered his staff’s assistance if necessary.
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