“Over the past several legislative sessions, APCA members have been voicing concern both over challenging processes of obtaining licensure in Alaska for some health professionals, and not having adequate reimbursement for some licensed provider types (particularly with regards to behavioral health provider types).”
Excerpted from the Alaska Primary Care Association Legislative Update Vol. 6, Issue 30.
The APCA is working on revisions to two APCA Legislative Resolutions which express the APCA’s commitment to: 1) work with the Division of Occupational Licensure and others to help make the process for obtaining licensure more efficient and less obstructive to Community Health Centers providing quality, accessible health care; and 2) support an amendment of Alaska’s State Medicaid Plan and a requirement for private insurers to provide reimbursement for services provided by Masters level prepared clinicians licensed through state of Alaska other than just Licensed Clinical Social Workers. Examples of these additional provider types might be Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, among others. You have the opportunity to provide input into the language of these two resolutions by participating in the Advocacy and Legislative Affairs Committee, and attending the Legislative Summit September 15th, 2011.
The APCA is not the only group working on licensure issues. The Alaska Health Workforce Coalition, of which APCA is a member, has identified a strategic initiative to “Foster an effective and efficient process for licensing and background checks of health occupations”. Work is in progress with the DHSS Background Check program on this initiative, under the competent leadership of Ellen Maling.
The Coalition is seeking confidential and candid feedback about issues relating to specific licensing boards in order to develop a plan of action for improvement. The Coalition has developed a survey that is currently being distributed to members of ASHNA and will soon be distributed to APCA’s members as well. The survey is short and simple. It requires participants to check a box (below) under all the issues that the CHC or safety net provider has experienced with getting newly hired health professionals licensed. This information will be used to develop pilot projects with specific boards.
There is also an opportunity in the survey to provide additional, qualitative feedback.
If you have any questions about this survey, its purpose, or how the data will be used, please feel free to contact APCA State Affairs Coordinator, Mary Sullivan at Mary@alaskapca.org. Keep your eyes open for the survey, which will be soon.
Filed under: Of interest
