A significant aspect of the PPA strategic plan is advocacy to promote the public’s access to quality psychological services.

PPA advocacy has resulted in many laws and regulations in Pennsylvania, including
•    the Professional Psychologists Practice Act
•    the Quality Health Care Accountability and Protection Act (Act 68) of 1998
•    maintenance of the school psychology regulations that ensure that children have access to school psychological services
•    legislation prohibiting licensing board complaints against psychologists doing child custody evaluations for up to 60 days after the judge's order
•    a law allowing minors over the age of 14 to consent to treatment and making it easier for parents to get their teenagers into treatment
•    a mandate for insurers to cover autism
•    a law promoting problem-solving courts to divert nonviolent offenders with mental disorders away from prison and into treatment

PPA has also been successful in advocacy on federal issues. Our staff and members have educated the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation about a range of issues in coordination with APA. Of particular importance are the victories that established mental health insurance parity, including in the health care reform law that was enacted in 2010, and in Medicare. Due to the efforts of APA and PPA, psychologists were included as authorized providers in Medicare starting in 1990. In recent years we have been successful in blocking planned cuts in reimbursement under Medicare.

For information on current legislation click the Links at left.