Past Advocacy Statements
2023
October 17, 2023
AAAP provides comments from the perspective of experts in the treatment of individuals with substance use disorders and mental health conditions and based on significant real-life experience with the barriers associated with discriminatory insurance practices.
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August 18, 2023
AAAP provides input in response to the Request for Information regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of cannabidiol (CBD).
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May 31, 2023
The undersigned addiction, mental health, recovery support, harm reduction, and healthcare professional organizations write to voice our strong support for S. 971/H.R. 3074 – the Due Process Continuity of Care Act.
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April 19, 2023
AAAP asks Congress to provide $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention.
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March 30, 2023
We support the steps the Administration is taking to provide flexibility for physicians and other clinicians to initiate prescriptions of controlled substances for addiction treatment via telehealth modalities and the flexible definition of “home” for the location of the patient to improve access. However, we strongly urge for a repeal of the 30-day in-person requirement for those on buprenorphine who have never received an in-person evaluation.
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March 29, 2023
As ONDCP develops its 2024 Strategy to strengthen our nation’s ability to deliver comprehensive prevention, treatment, and recovery services for people, families and communities facing substance use issues, we urge you to build on the 2022 Strategy by identifying solutions to remaining barriers to care and implementing policies to reduce stigma and discrimination.
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March 23, 2023
The undersigned addiction, mental health, and healthcare professional organizations are writing today to urge your support for the increased funding of important addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs aimed at strengthening the addiction service workforce in Fiscal Year 2024. The undersigned represent diverse organizations united around common policy goals that will lead to meaningful and comprehensive policies to reduce drug overdose deaths.
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March 20, 2023
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February 15, 2023
Since the PHE will be ending on May 11, we urge the Administration to quickly provide individual patient exceptions for patients receiving PHE flexibilities in take-home doses (THD) to ensure a safe transition from the PHE while careful consideration can be given to any permanent rule changes going forward.
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January 31, 2023
To best treat people with SUDs, clinicians need to be able to coordinate care with other health professionals to meet patients’ whole health needs without fear of stigma and discrimination. This rule will help to better meet this need.
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2022
December 16, 2022
30 organizations join together to urge continued robust funding for PCSS, a vital program for training providers as our nation continues to address the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic.
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July 27, 2022
AAAP encourages the Senate HELP Committee to follow suit and add companion language in order to support the implementation of high-quality integrated behavioral health care that is proven to be effective.
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June 30, 2022
AAAP is focused on working with the Administration, Congress, and experts in the field of addiction treatment to develop and implement science-based policies and programs to accomplish our shared goal of ending the opioid epidemic, addressing co occurring mental health problems, and providing effective treatment for our patients.
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June 28, 2022
AAAP is concerned and disheartened by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling.
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March 7, 2022
AAAP supports improving access to lifesaving medical treatment for opioid use disorder.
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March 4, 2022
AAAP signs on to letter of support for prescribing of controlled substances via telehealth under Ryan Haight Act.
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February 8, 2022
AAAP signs on to The American Brain Coalition’s letter in support of S.1810/H.R.3541, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act.
2021
November 8, 2021
AAAP signs on to letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leadership urging swift action to finalize the House-passed $904 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research program for FY 2022.
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September 2, 2021
AAAP signed on to letter to support Family Support Services for Addiction Act.
August 5, 2021
AAAP provides input on the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2022 National Drug Control Strategy.
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May 18, 2021
Statement made by Kevin Sevarino, MD, PhD House of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee.
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March 31, 2021
AAAP signs onto Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative FY22 ABC sign on letter to the Senate and House appropriations leadership.
March 19, 2021
AAAP signs on to letter to support Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act.
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March 15, 2021
Appropriations Subcommittee leaders requesting $1.51 billion for HRSA Title VII and Title VIII programs in FY 2022.
February 23, 2021
AAAP Endorsement of Xavier Becerra as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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February 18, 2021
AAAP Coalition fully support President Biden’s goal to increase access to science-based opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment.
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February 16, 2021
AAAP signs on to letter write to recommend the creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal anti-kickback statute (AKS) to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management (CM) in the treatment of SUD.
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January 25, 2021
AAAP signs on to letter thanking Chairman Wyden and Senator Grassley for investing in physician training by adding 1,000 new Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
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January 12, 2021
AAAP submits recommendations to Mr. Mark Staz and Dr. Danny Takanishi Jr. regarding FSMB.
2020
December 1, 2020
AAAP signed on to Ad Hoc Group’s letter to President-elect Biden on importance and future needs of the NIH.
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September 3, 2020
AAAP signed on to support Senate Bill 855.
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August 12, 2020
AAAP signed on to letter to Congressional leadership, asking that they include the Medicaid Reentry Act in the next legislative COVID-19 package.
August 3, 2020
AAAP signed on to letter to support work of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Working Group of the National Association of Insurance. Commissioners (NAIC).
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June 16, 2020
AAAP signed on to Behavioral Health Care Provider Distribution letter.
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May 4, 2020
AAAP signed on to letter to Acting Director U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Kenneth Cuccinelli requesting to temporarily extend visas automatically for one year.
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April 13, 2020
AAAP signed on to amicus brief in the case of The State of California v. Chelsea Cheyenne Becker.
April 13, 2020
AAAP supports American Psychiatric Association breif.
April 7, 2020
AAAP signed on to letter with a request to provide $38.5 billion in emergency supplemental funding for direct payments to behavioral health organizations to ensure they can remain open and operating during the COVID-19 crisis.
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April 3, 2020
AAAP signed on to letter to AMASHA regarding OTP’s and Telehealth.
March 20, 2020
AAAP signed on to Mental Health Policies in Future COVID-19 Supplemental letter. View full Policy
March 10, 2020
AAAP signed on to support the proposed funding for ONDCP and other comprehensive efforts surrounding the epidemic response.
February 26, 2020
AAAP signed on to support FY 2021 Funding Recommendation for HRSA Titles VII and VIII Programs.
January 30, 2020
AAAP signed on to support Ad Hoc FY 2021 NIH Funding Recommendation.
2019
September 25, 2019
AAAP signs on to letter supporting the Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 (S.2892).
August 20, 2019
AAAP supports NAPW’s amicus brief in the case of United States v. Flute.
July 31, 2019
AAAP signed on to CEPOP FY2020 Appropriations Letter to the U.S. Senate.
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July 10, 2019
AAAP strongly endorses the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019.
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June 17, 2019
AAAP signed on to NAPW’s open letter to the judge Wendy Wexler Horn, asking for leniency in Ms. Roberta Baker’s sentencing.
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May 6, 2019
AAAP endorses the Care Act of 2019.
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May 1, 2019
AAAP signed on to a petition to the PA Medical Marijuana Advisory Board to remove the OUD indication. View full Policy
April 23, 2019
AAAP signed on to NAPW’s open letter to the St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney asking her to drop the charges against Ms. Roberta Baker. View full Policy
March 29, 2019
AAAP signed on to letter encouraging Members of Congress to cosponsor “The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019” (S. 348, H.R. 1763). View full Policy
March 15, 2019
AAAP signed on to CEPOP Coalition Letter to Save ONDC. View full Policy
2017
April 10, 2017
The American Medical Association Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse strongly supports the education and awareness of physicians, patients, policymakers, and other key stakeholders regarding the risks of prescription opioids and other medications if they are not taken as prescribed. View full Advocacy
January 4, 2017
Letter to House and Senate Leadership calling for any health reform efforts to preserve access to treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders.
2013
October 31, 2013
Letter to the USP CEO asking to subdivide the categories of substance use disorder treatment drugs that are listed in the Medicare Model Guidelines (v6.0).
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August 20, 2013
Support of Appellant Astasia Clemons in Case No. 12 CA 009, State of Ohio v. Astasia Clemons: charged with corrupting another with drugs due to prescribed Percocet and marijuana use during pregnancy.
August 2, 2013
Y.N. (Yvonne) appeals order that determined she abused or neglected her infant son, P.A.C. (Paul). Paul suffered withdrawal symptoms after birth, caused by Y.N.’s use of methadone during the last month of her pregnancy as part of a methadone treatment regimen.
May 1, 2013
Support to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to apply the Medicaid primary care payment rate to additional physician providers of primary care services (OB/GYNs, neurologists, and psychiatrists) to the list of specialties eligible to receive the Medicaid Bump for 2013-14.
March 4, 2013
Coalition to communicate mental health guidelines to the Hill, the Administration and the general public.
January 15, 2013
A Coalition Letter to the president requesting additional action on gun screening and reporting of violence.
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2012
December 26, 2012
A letter to CMS regarding new mental health and SUD standards in the ACA. Specifically CMS and the topics of Essential Health Benefits, Actuarial Value, and Accreditation.
October 2, 2012
Letter to the government on preventing and reducing prescription overdoses.
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May 19, 2012
Comments on the proposed rule outlining State 2 of Meaningful Use (MU) for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (HER) Incentive.
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May 9, 2012
Letter to the government of the Russian Federation promoting evidence-based treatment for addiction disorders.
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May 3, 2012
Letter of support for medication- assisted treatment for inmates with co-occurring disorders.
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January 1, 2012
Letter to state governors and medical directors supporting buprenorphine treatment.
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Past Position Statements
2019
November 18, 2019
AAAP joins The American Medical Association in supporting a broad public health recommendation to cease using all vaping devices until further state and federal investigations determine causality and can advise on which, if any, vaping devices may be considered safe for use by the public.
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October 3, 2019
AAAP encourages states to consider the following, well-established and widely-reproduced findings in the scientific literature regarding cannabis and mental health.
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2018
July 2, 2018
Physicians who are able to practice medicine with requisite skill and safety to patients should not be excluded from medical activities solely because of medical licenses that have been restricted due to some aspect of physical or mental illness (including addiction disorders). Decisions as to whether such physicians should be permitted to practice specific areas of medicine should be made on a case by case basis.
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July 19, 2018
Supports the funding and development of programs that assist people, who are injecting drug users, to have increased access to clean needles and syringes in order to help them eliminate all reusing and sharing of needle syringes.
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July 19, 2018 A detailed set of guidelines regarding disclosure and privacy of addiction patients. Specific reference to the careful use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). View full Policy
July 2, 2018
Suggests system of care for treatment of co-occurring psychiatric and SUD patients. Main principles include: welcoming, accessibility, integration, continuity, and comprehensiveness. View full Policy
July 19, 2018
Advocates for treatment of psychiatric problems (including addiction) to those patients within the criminal justice system. Seeks to provide appropriate medical treatment as a cost-effective and humane alternative to incarceration alone. View full Policy
July 2, 2018
A revised set of guidelines concerning financial decisions as a conflict of interest; written to the norms of the PHS and NSF. View full Policy
July 19, 2018
Statement against the legalization of currently illicit drugs, though in favor of maximizing treatment and prevention efforts that do not stigmatize addicted patients, and significantly reduce crime. View full Policy
July 19, 2018
Cannabinoids are of great interest, and some medical cannabinoids are of demonstrated benefit in treating nausea/vomiting during cancer chemotherapy, improving appetite in wasting diseases such as AIDS, reducing seizure burden in childhood epilepsy, and reducing spasticity in multiple sclerosis. View full Policy
July 19, 2018
Promotes the development of policies and programs which promote prevention, treatment, and research activities in the area of nicotine dependence. View full Policy
July 19, 2018
There has been a significant increase in mortality from prescription drug overdoses over the past 20 years in the U.S.
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July 2, 2018
Asks to remove stigma of substance abuse from eligibility of organ transplantation. The evaluation of a patient’s candidacy for organ transplantation should be made on clinical grounds alone. The choice should be based on clinical criteria with the specifics of each case taken into consideration. View full Policy
July 2, 2018
Distinguishes the benefits of self-help and medical assistance; recognizes self-help methods as valuable community tools while asserting that patients with addictions or SUDs require help from qualified professionals. View full Policy
July 2, 2018
Supports the voluntary screening and testing of pregnant women for substance use disorders and mental illness for the purpose of providing prenatal care and treatment services to the mother and unborn child; opposes legislation or policies that require mandatory reporting of illegal substance use by pregnant women. View full Policy
July 19, 2018
Specific recommendations and guidelines for responsible practice in the prescription of opioids for chronic, non- malignant pain. View full Policy
2016
May 2, 2016
In process: Core essentials in OUD treatment planning (MAT, therapy/mutual support, prevention of self-harm and suicide).
April 15, 2016
Supports the funding and development of programs that assist people, who are injecting drug users, to have increased access to clean needles and syringes in order to help them eliminate all reusing and sharing of needle syringes.
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February 3, 2016
Cannabinoids are of great interest, and some medical cannabinoids are of demonstrated benefit in treating nausea/vomiting during cancer chemotherapy, improving appetite in wasting diseases such as AIDS, reducing seizure burden in childhood epilepsy, and reducing spasticity in multiple sclerosis.
View full Advocacy
2015
December 12, 2015
There has been a significant increase in mortality from prescription drug overdoses over the past 20 years in the U.S.
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June 17, 2015
A revised set of guidelines concerning financial decisions as a conflict of interest; written to the norms of the PHS and NSF.
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June 17, 2015
Outlines procedure by which AAAP will identify and resolve financially relevant relationships that create the appearance of or an actual conflict of interest. Designed to separate educational objections from financial relationships.
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June 17, 2015
Specific recommendations and guidelines for responsible practice in the prescription of opioids for chronic, non- malignant pain.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Advocates for treatment of psychiatric problems (including addiction) to those patients within the criminal justice system. Seeks to provide appropriate medical treatment as a cost-effective and humane alternative to incarceration alone.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Suggests system of care for treatment of co-occurring psychiatric and SUD patients. Main principles include: welcoming, accessibility, integration, continuity, and comprehensiveness.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Supports the voluntary screening and testing of pregnant women for substance use disorders and mental illness for the purpose of providing prenatal care and treatment services to the mother and unborn child; opposes legislation or policies that require mandatory reporting of illegal substance use by pregnant women.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Asks to remove stigma of substance abuse from eligibility of organ transplantation. The evaluation of a patientâs candidacy for organ transplantation should be made on clinical grounds alone. The choice should be based on clinical criteria with the specifics of each case taken into consideration.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Distinguishes the benefits of self-help and medical assistance; recognizes self-help methods as valuable community tools while asserting that patients with addictions or SUDs require help from qualified professionals.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Promotes the development of policies and programs which promote prevention, treatment, and research activities in the area of nicotine dependence.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Statement against the legalization of currently illicit drugs, though in favor of maximizing treatment and prevention efforts that do not stigmatize addicted patients, and significantly reduce crime.
View full Advocacy
June 17, 2015
Physicians who are able to practice medicine with requisite skill and safety to patients should not be excluded from medical activities solely because of medical licenses that have been restricted due to some aspect of physical or mental illness (including addiction disorders). Decisions as to whether such physicians should be permitted to practice specific areas of medicine should be made on a case by case basis.
View full Advocacy
2014
June 25, 2014
“On behalf of physicians and patients who participate in Medicaid, we write to request that you extend the Medicaid payment policy under Section 1902(a)(13)(C) of the Social Security Act for at least two years, and make physicians who practice psychiatry and neurology eligible for payments under this policy….”
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2013
January 15, 2013
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule: health professionals may disclose necessary information about a patient to law enforcement, family members of the patient, or other persons, when you believe the patient presents a serious danger to himself or other people.
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2012
January 1, 2012
A detailed set of guidelines regarding disclosure and privacy of addiction patients. Specific reference to the careful use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
View full Advocacy
