APA Endorses Mental Health Parity Compliance Act

Mental Health
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Dr. Koock Jung leveraged more than three decades of experience to his role as a New York-based psychiatrist with the Psychotherapy Center in Queensbury, New York, where he assisted patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sexual trauma. Actively involved in his profession, Dr. Koock Jung served as a member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a nonprofit which focuses on advancing more effective treatments for people with mental illnesses. 

The American Psychiatric Association has endorsed the recently announced Mental Health Parity Compliance Act, a proposed bipartisan bill which would be beneficial to both psychiatrists and their patients.

The Mental Health Parity Compliance Act would enhance the transparency with which health insurance companies operate when it comes to the coverage of mental health plans. The APA notes that there is a lack of oversight in ensuring that patients with mental illnesses receive fair health plan coverage under the federal parity law.

According to Bruce Schwartz, M.D, the president of the APA, insurers have not been providing adequate health plan coverage that the patients dealing with mental illness deserve for a long time. He believes that the proposed bill will be integral in eliminating this disparity and encourages the Senate and the House to pass the bill soon.

An Overview of the APA’s Annual General Meeting

For nearly four decades, Koock Jung, MD, helped patients recover from sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder while operating his private psychiatry practice in Queensbury, New York. Board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology through 2015, Dr. Koock Jung was a Founding Fellow of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists and Diplomate of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Each year, the APA holds an annual general meeting that is attended by industry professionals from the United States and over 50 other countries. Attracting more than 15,000 attendees, this event features more than 650 educational sessions, some of which can be counted as continuing medical education credits.

Those who attend the APA’s annual general meeting, which takes place over five days, learn from leaders in the areas of ethics and health policy and receive valuable information on new therapies, emerging scientific developments, novel technologies, and innovative treatment options. The meeting is designed for mental health professionals and advocates, including students, residents, researchers, psychiatrists, and educators.