To: President Donald Trump, The California State House, The California State Senate, Governor Gavin Newsom, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Help Psychotherapists Help Their Patients
One thing that Americans are not told about are the low fees that Insurance Companies and Managed Care companies pay to their psychotherapists (Marriage and Family Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists) and that effect on the consumer patient. Rates have been held at 1970's reimbursement schedules and have not been adjusted for inflation . Therefore, psychotherapists earn about a quarter of what they earned 4 decades ago, putting patients in potential harm's way. When therapists take on more patient hours to earn a living wage, they have less time and money to do research, networking and continuing education to build their skill sets. When these corporations control the market on what private practitioners are reimbursed (and they are exempt from anti-trust laws), employers such as hospitals, Kaiser and non-profit agencies adjust the amount they pay their licensed therapists and interns to reflect the false market reimbursement rate. Therapist burnout rates are high from working long hours and corporate emphasis on paperwork and they are less effective then they could otherwise be.
Supporting this petition and creating change will help us move on to a healthier society as psychotherapists will be better able and ready to help you and your family.
Supporting this petition and creating change will help us move on to a healthier society as psychotherapists will be better able and ready to help you and your family.
Why is this important?
As a clinician who has been in practice for 30 years, I can not help my college age children and have not succeeded in building the kind of retirement I need to have to not be a burden on the state at a later date. This is not because of any personal recklessness or bad investment, but because of the fixed market rates of the Insurance and Managed Care industry. In fact, my copay is so high that I cannot afford my own therapist! In my practice, I have fewer resources to spend off-session time and energy to help those who need it.