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Sample Agency Comment Letter for Psychology Internship Training Programs
Practice Organization
Government Relations
January 30, 2001
For more information: E-mail
[Date]
Health Care Financing Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: HCFA 1089-P
P. O. Box 8010
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Dear Secretary Thompson:
As the training director of [name of internship training program] I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule regarding payment for clinical psychology training programs, as published in the January 12, 2001 Federal Register, file code HCFA-1089P. I strongly support this new funding provision, as written, and urge that you implement it in a timely manner.
[Include a paragraph or two describing your program and how it benefits patients in the hospital or other facility. Mention any departments or units in which the interns may provide services and if they provide services directly to Medicare patients. For example:
Our program provides psychology interns a challenging course of clinical training, in which they provide a range of therapeutic, assessment, preventive, and primary care services to patients in Anytown hospital. Many of the patients that our psychology interns serve are Medicare patients. In addition to providing these services in the department of psychology at the hospital, these interns also work with other physicians and health care professionals in the hospital's rehabilitation unit. Upon completion of their internship, we award our interns a diploma, acknowledging that they have obtained the skills that will allow them to provide services in similar settings when they complete their doctoral training.]
[Include a paragraph or two describing how the Medicare reimbursement for training costs will financially help the hospital or facility operate your program. For example:
Anytown hospital, like many other hospitals across the country, is facing shrinking revenues. Medicare funding for our psychology internship program will help ensure that Anytown hospital can continue to provide in addition to internship training, high quality mental health and primary care services to its patients through our program. We currently train four interns, and we believe that they add immensely to the collaborative delivery of services at this hospital.]
We look forward to Medicare funding for our psychology internship training program in the near future. Such funding is both appropriate and needed at this time.
Sincerely, |
