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Please thank the individuals who met with you, and remind them of the issues you advocated for
March 29, 2022 by Raegina Likewise

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Please see below a sample thank you note to send to the individuals who met with you on March 28. Only one note should be sent per meeting. Feel free to copy and paste this note, but please personalize it with details from your meeting.

 


Sample Subject Line: Thank You and Follow Up from 3/28 Meeting   

 

Dear [Name of Staffer/Representative/Senator]:    

   

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me [and additional participants] on March 28th regarding health equity and access to psychological services. We are heartened by the interest Congress is showing in mental health issues right now, and hope your office will lend support to the proposals we discussed during our meeting, listed below. 

 

Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program and Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Reauthorization and Appropriations. Increasing funding for and reauthorizing both these recruitment programs would allow more psychologists to work with diverse populations in what are often underserved areas. We are also expecting a Dear Colleague letter to the appropriate House Committees to be circulated soon by Representatives Butterfield and Katko which would request increased funding for MFP and may also include a request to reauthorize the program. We would appreciate your support of that letter. Mental health services are needed now more than ever, especially given the shortage of psychologists in [STATE]. 

 

Medicare reimbursement for supervised services provided by doctoral psychology interns and residents. This is an important request because it would expand the workforce trained to deliver evidenced-based services to older adults at a time when the nation is aging. Allowing Medicare to reimburse supervised services provided by psychology interns and residents would allow psychology programs to expand in this area of training, and increase the likelihood the trainees will participate in Medicare once fully licensed. As we mentioned during our meeting, CMS already permits programs to cover services provided by psychology interns and residents in about half the states in Medicaid. 

 

Supporting parity between mental and physical health services. Both proposals below would increase access to mental health and substance abuse, while preventing health care plans from taking advantage of stigma around mental health issues to provide flimsy coverage. This is crucial at a time when Americans are facing a continued surge in COVID-related mental and behavioral health problems, including increases in anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We are asking [Senator/Representative] to: 

  • Co-sponsor the Parity Implementation Assistance Act (H.R. 3753 / S. 1962). This would support stronger state enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) through grants to review health plans.  
  • Authorize the Department of Labor (DOL) to assess penalties for MHPAEA violations. Currently, DOL does not have the ability to fine violators, so many health plans are in violation of MHPAEA. 

 

[Please add in any additional information regarding local needs that you may have mentioned in  your meeting.]  

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or require more information. We look forward to continuing to work with you to improve equitable access to mental and behavioral health services for those who need them most, while addressing the nationwide shortage of mental and behavioral providers.  

 

Again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with your office. 

 

Sincerely,    

[Name/Title]    

[University/Institution]    

[Address]    

(Phone: XXXX)  

 

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