For Your Information
Date: January 9, 2001
To: State, Practice Division, and APAGS Federal Advocacy Coordinators, State Executive Directors, Psychology Internship Program Directors
From: Marilyn Richmond, Assistant Executive Director for Government Relations, American Psychological Association Practice
Re: New GME Funding for Psychology Internship Training Programs

For more information: E-mail

Action:

I am pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has just released a new proposed rule that would permit psychology internship training programs to be eligible for Medicare graduate medical education (GME) funding. The Practice Organization, working with the Education Directorate, has made psychology GME funding a priority, and this proposed rule is the result of years of Congressional and Regulatory advocacy.

We are currently in the process of analyzing the new proposed rule and will soon be back in touch with you with a request that you send comments to DHHS in support of the rule and to offer changes, if any need to be made to fully implement psychology internship training program funding. It is essential that the DHHS receive a number of letters that encourage final implementation of a favorable rule.

Attached is a press release from the American Psychological Association. For further information on this issue, a fact sheet on graduate medical education is available at: http://www.apa.org/practice/gme99.html. You may view the proposed rule beginning on its January 12th publication date at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.

1. Go to web address.
2. Scroll down to table of contents for 2001.
3. Retrieve table of contents for January 12,2001.
4. Look under Health Care Financing Administration - Proposed Rule Medicare: Clinical Psychology Training Programs 01-910.

If you have further questions, please contact the Practice Organization Government Relations Department at (202) 336-5889.