Insight Matters
Fall 2005

OPA is Working For You!

The Ohio Psychiatric Association is your professional association in the state of Ohio and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued membership. Through the combined efforts of hundreds of OPA member volunteers and staff, the OPA is dedicated to promoting the highest quality care for people with mental disorders and to serving the professional needs of Ohio's psychiatric physicians.
Here are the highlights of what the OPA has done for its members in 2005:

Advocating for patients and psychiatrists

Advocated successfully for adequate funding for mental and behavioral health care in the state budget. Ohio House Bill 66 included language that protected access to and provided adequate funding for mental health benefits and services for Ohio's most vulnerable citizens, including funding for the Access to Better Care initiative, which will provide $52 million to improve access to behavioral health services for children and their families.

Advocated successfully to oppose "step therapy" language for Medicaid patients. The biennial budget bill included language that would have limited physicians from prescribing the most appropriate and effective medications for persons covered by Medicaid.

Lobbied successfully to protect patient confidentiality. Ohio House Bill 144 included specific language drafted by the OPA last session to protect patient confidentiality in probate cases.

Advocating for defeat of "mandate-lite" insurance benefits. Ohio Senate Bill 5 would permit small employers to offer health plans that do not provide insurance benefits otherwise required by law. Passage of such legislation could eliminate the current $500 a year mental health benefits for patients and would eliminate the benefits of mental health parity.

Advocating for defeat of unregulated complementary and alternative health care. Ohio House Bill 117 would allow for complementary or alternative health care treatment without regulation or oversight by a state licensing board, which would pose significant risks to patient safety.

Advocating in support of mental health parity. Ohio House Bill 180 and Ohio Senate Bill 116 will finally put an end to discrimination against patients with psychiatric illnesses, enabling those with insurance coverage to obtain the same benefits for mental illnesses as other physical illnesses.

Advocating for protection of patient rights with managed care companies. Through education, we have encouraged our members to take action for appeal (both internal and external) to address managed care concerns that threaten access to needed and available inpatient psychiatric services.

Reported unfair managed care practices to the Ohio Department of Insurance resulting in a major Ohio insurance company being investigated by ODI for unfair denials of psychiatric services.

Investigating the feasibility and options for managed care reform to address the increasing concerns expressed by our members.

Educating our members

Educated psychiatrists and other mental health professionals on emergency psychiatry during the OPA Spring Educational and Annual Meeting, Psychiatric Urgencies and Emergencies, held in partnership with The Ohio State University Medical Center and Department of Psychiatry.

Educated psychiatrists and primary care physicians on Buprenorphine treatment and office-based treatment of opioid dependence.

Educated psychiatrists and other mental health professionals on disaster mental health, through the collaborative efforts of the ODMH All Hazards Leadership workgroup.

Developed and conducted leadership training for the OPA Council, Chapter Presidents and Delegates

Co-marketed the annual Psychopharmacology Update presented by the University of Cincinnati.

Enhanced the OPA Web Site to provide members with improved access to information.

Educating the public

Developing a pilot patient education project, entitled: Increasing Patients' Knowledge of Mental Illnesses Through Education and Community Support - A Resource for Psychiatrists, in partnership with the Mental Health Association of Franklin County and the National Alliance for Mental Illness, Franklin County,

Supported and exhibited at two educational events sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Franklin County.

Supported NAMI Ohio's Campaign for the Mind of America including the rally and public awareness campaign directed at the Unintended Consequences of Untreated Mental Illness and numerous NAMIWalks.

Implementing policy

Developed formal position statements on Inpatient Length of Stay for Children and Adolescents, Pharmacy Benefit Management and Restrictive Formularies, Ethical Involvement of Medical Directors and Insurance Companies, for use in communicating with external groups, including the media.

Developed a relationship with the Ohio Coalition of Primary Care Physicians to discuss and address issues of common interest (referral communications and parity).

Representing and enhancing the image and interests of psychiatrists by working with the news media, regulatory agencies and constituency groups to disseminate information to patients, family members and the general public on issues of psychiatric medicine.

Issued news releases to the media to address concerns related to the practice of psychiatry and the patients for whom we care.

Representing the profession

The OPA was represented by one or our members and/or our executive director in helping to provide
direction, shape policy, define needs, develop new programs, and provide education on the work
groups, task forces and committees:
Coalition for Healthy Communities
Delegate to the Ohio State Medical Association
ODH Sexual Assault and Mental Illness
ODMH All Hazards Leadership Task Force
ODMH Clinical Quality Council
Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Medicare Carrier Advisory Panel
Medicaid Ohio Behavioral Pharmacy Management System

We hope that you and your patients have benefited from the actions taken by your professional organization. Please share your comments or suggestions. It is important that we hear from you, OPA members, to establish the priorities for OPA activities in advocacy, education, collaborations, policy and overall member services and to ensure that we're meeting your needs!

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