Dear all:

I think there is a very important battle going on that affects all health care practitioners.  
This was cited already on Lactnet, but I wanted to let you all know what the American 
Psychological Association is doing about it.

The APA Executive Director for Professional Practice, Dr. Newman, has written to 
Congress concerning HR 5688 "Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act of 2006 sponsored 
by Rep John Sullivan (R-OK).

This act prohibits any licensed health care service provider who is not a medical doctor, 
doctor of ostepathic medicine, dental medicine or dental surgery from making any 
statement or engaging in any activity that misleads or deceives the public or a 
prospective or current patient into belivin that such person is a doctor or  HAS THE SAME 
OR EQUIVALENT SKILLS OR TRAINING.

Dr. Newman characterized the bill as uncessary since federal and state laws already exist 
to prohibit physician and nonphysician health care professionals from engaging in 
deceptive or misleading acts related to their credentials, education and training.  ... 

and ..Despite its intent to the contrary, this legislation would actually prevent consumers 
from receiving accurate information about psychologists.....  Newman noted, 
psychologists ahve MORE training than physicians to prepare them for the services that 
they are licensed by state authorities to provie.  

...Further, Newman emphasized that the bill interfers with beneficial competition in the 
health care marketplace by putting physicians' financial intersts ahead of consumer 
protection.  The Health care Truth and Transparency Act discrimantely targets non-
physician health care professionals and prevents them from providing important, accurate 
information to consumers.  Physicians are not similarly limited by the bill.

In this article it states that the American Psychiatric Association has publicly lauded this 
act and this is part of the American Medical Association suport for this act is part of a 
much broader initiative targeting non-physician scope of practice.

The American Psychological Association is one of 34 organizational members of the 
Coalition for Patience Rights.


*****************
Best regards, Susan Burger

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