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| A Message
from the President |
By Alan Glaros, PhD
AAPB's leadership team has been
very active during the past few months. We've conducted a good deal
of public advocacy, worked to support members in their efforts,
dealt with third party reimbursement issues, and fended off threats
to the integrity of the field.
Our Nomenclature Task Force is finishing its work. We continue to offer
professional for liability insurance for our members.
We've also worked to get our financial house in
order. AAPB will end
the 2007 year in the black, and we will add a significant chunk of
money to our reserves by the end of the 2008 fiscal year. All in all, a busy and
productive period.
I want to draw your attention to
the symposium on biofeedback and gaming that will be presented at
our annual meeting, May 14-17 in Daytona Beach, Florida. This is a fascinating use of
our technology and a potential growth area for us.
The vitality of a field requires
an engaged leadership and an activated membership. Here are some things you can
do to protect the field and advocate for
biofeedback:
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You've probably noticed that
some manufacturers-all of them not affiliated with AAPB-have made
misleading claims about their equipment and about the process of
biofeedback. When you
see these claims on the Internet or your local newspaper, please
take the time to write a letter to the editor of your local
newspaper and set the record straight. You're welcome to use the
language crafted by AAPB in your letter. It is available online. The more our
members write, the more the public gets
educated.
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When was the last time you
offered to speak to a local civic group or professional
organization about biofeedback? Perhaps you could offer to
speak to a meeting of a local medical society. In your talk, you could
describe biofeedback and the conditions for which biofeedback
shows efficacy. (We
have information on our website
that you are
always welcome to use.)
Don't be surprised if your presentation results in more
referrals to your practice.
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Are you coding
diagnoses and procedures properly? We're getting reports from
insurance companies that some providers (not necessarily AAPB
members) are using diagnosis and procedure codes that don't seem
to be justified. The
insurance companies are responding by denying all
biofeedback-related claims, including those submitted by
conscientious providers.
If you're not sure about coding, please make plans to come
to our annual meeting in May to learn
more.
Are there other
issues we need to work on?
Please don't hesitate to contact me at aglaros@kcumb.edu. Stay
warm! |
| Executive
Director's Message |
Advocacy: A Key Mission of
AAPB
By David L. Stumph, IOM, CAE,
AAPB
Co-Executive Director
It is interesting
to see the tide turning for AAPB in many ways. One truly exciting
change in recent months is that AAPB finds itself in the forefront
on a number of important issues on behalf of its members and the
field in general. It has always been a goal of the Association to
acquire insurance coverage for Biofeedback services. The past has
only seen limited success in this area. However, the volume of
inquiries, articles, and news items has increased significantly in
the last year and our own involvement in responding to questions
related to efficacy of biofeedback services has become a major
focus.
The inquiries that
we have received recently have come from a variety of sources. While
many such contacts have been indirect, they have come from various
licensing boards including New York, California, and Maryland. We
have also had direct communication with a number of insurance
companies supporting the efficacy of biofeedback as a treatment for
various disorders. In one case, we provided support to a challenge
from a medical board claim against a member for performing medical
services without appropriate licensure. We believe that these
entities are beginning to take notice and that our responses are
having a positive impact.
Just last week, I
met with the Senior Legislative Representative for State Affairs in
Health & Long-Term Care from the American Association of Retired
People (AARP) to discuss ways that we might work together to achieve
greater recognition for biofeedback and insurance coverage. As a
result, we will be contacting a number of states for guidance and
assistance in achieving greater insurance coverage.
We have also been
actively involved with public media responding to items that have
appeared on the NBC's Today
Show, a local Denver television news show, and the Seattle Times, to mention a
few.
This is an
exciting time for psychophysiology and biofeedback! And, your
professional association, AAPB, is taking the lead in finding and
making contacts that we believe will make a difference. Our
challenge to you is to keep us informed as you encounter items that
should be addressed. A heightened awareness of biofeedback has
thrust AAPB into an advocacy role at a greater level than ever
before. We welcome this opportunity and look forward to hearing from
you with issues that we can address on your
behalf. |
| Guidelines for Third Party Reimbursement For
Biofeedback |
By Ronald
Rosenthal, PhD
In an ideal world, we would be able to generate a long list
of insurance companies and managed care organizations that have
consistently paid for biofeedback services. However, the world
we live in is far from ideal and insurance reimbursement for
biofeedback continues to be inconsistent and unpredictable.
In order to try to bring some order to this topic, it is
important to remember how third party reimbursement works.
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| Gaming
Session Added to Annual Meeting Program |
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There has been an
explosion of applications to health evolving from electronic devices
over the past few years. No small number of these operate by
involving a physiological change in the operator of the device.
Many are offered as
computer games or relaxation devices. This seminar will bring
together many representatives from the family of people who develop,
design, research, market or use such devices. We will look at the growing
demand, what's in the future, innovative applications, special
needs, and most important--what does this mean for biofeedback?
Bring your imagination and creative thinking.
See information about
this special event and the rest of the Annual Meeting program at
www.aapb.org.
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| Still
Accepting Posters for the Annual Meeting |
| Because we want to include as
much research as possible at the Annual Meeting, AAPB is extending
its Call for Posters. Although the official poster submission site
is now closed, we invite you to sent us your abstracts for inclusion
at the Annual Meeting in Florida. Email your abstracts to Allison
Mendrys at amendrys@resourcenter.com. |
| Interested
in Serving on the Board or Committee? |
| AAPB is looking for individuals
interested in serving either on the 2009 Annual Meeting Program
Planning Committee or on the Board of Directors. If you would like
to be considered for either of these important roles within AAPB,
contact either of the Co-Executive Directors, Francine Butler at
fbutler@resourcenter.com or David Stumph, dstumph@resourcenter.com. |
| AAPB-endorsed Professional Liability Insurance
Program |
|
Submitted by
Lockton Risk Services, Inc.
While it's standard practice to
protect your physical property with insurance, biofeedback
practitioners often forget to protect the most important part of
their business: their reputation and financial security.
Unfortunately, many biofeedback specialists don't understand how
professional liability insurance protects them and their practice in
the event of a claim or lawsuit.
Anyone who
interacts with clients as a professional in clinical environment
needs professional liability insurance. In our litigious society,
your close work with people can open you to accusations of
misconduct.
Professional
liability insurance does not provide coverage in instances of fraud
or intentional acts; rather it offers a financial buffer in the
event your professional opinion is questioned or you are accused of
negligence. When a claim is made against you, the insurance company
helps defray the expense of evidence discovery and represents your
interests in the event of a trial or hearing.
While many
employers provide professional liability coverage for their
employees for acts on their behalf, you could be uninsured in the
future if the employer fails to renew the coverage, goes out of
business or doesn't purchase extended reporting (tail) coverage. Any
coverage with a new employer will not respond to claims arising from
your previous employment. Personal coverage allows you to choose the
amount of insurance you need and gives you individual control over
your insurance premium.
As an AAPB
member, you have access to an exceptional professional liability
insurance option: the AAPB-endorsed Professional Liability Insurance
Program. Administered by Lockton Risk Services, Inc., a leader in
the insurance industry, the program offers extremely competitive
rates exclusively for biofeedback practitioners.
You can apply, get a quote
and receive a policy in the comfort of your home or office. Just
visit the AAPB Insurance Center at http://aapb.lockton-ins.com. In just a few short minutes
you can have the valuable coverage you need to protect the most
important part of your business:
Yourself. |
| Special Member Discount Now
Available |
Marvin H.
Berman, PhD, CBT, BCIA-EEG, President of the Quietmind Foundation,
is offering members a discount of 15%
on Institutional
Review Board (IRB) services, with 5% of the proceeds going
back to AAPB. The Quietmind Foundation has created both an
independent IRB and a Research Faciliation Service in response to
the growing need for quality research in the field of
complementary/alternative (CAM) health care with an emphasis on EEG
biofeedback theory and methods. For more information, go to
www.quietmindfdn.org/irb.
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| Welcome New
Members! |
We welcome the following
individuals who have become new members of AAPB since October
11, 2007. We're delighted to have you join the premier
international society for mind-body interactions in research,
healthcare and education. Thank you for joining the AAPB
community. We hope to meet many of you at the Annual Meeting in
Daytona Beach.
- Edward Amchislavsky, MSW, Far Rockaway, New York
- Natalia Amchislavsky, MSW, ACSW, CASAC, Far Rockaway, New York
- Clifford Anderson, Hanford, California
- Maya Balenz, LMT, MFA, Eugene, Oregon
- Neil Bockian, PhD, Chicago, Illinois
- Lynn Buhler, Baltimore, Maryland
- Louise Cardellina, Mattituck, New York
- James Colwell, PhD, Wilmington, North Carolina
- Terry Conrad, Galveston, Texas
- Curtis Cripe, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Tad Crohn, Barrie, Ontario
- Spyridon Diamantides, Athens, Greece
- Keith Donohue, MS, Highland Park, New Jersey
- Bernard Ertl, Friendswood, Texas
- Kristi Hansen, BA, BCIAC Senior Fellow, Chaska, Minnesota
- Cynthia Harrington, Los Angeles, California
- Paulette Hastings, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Audrey Hill-Lindsay, Los Angeles, California
- Jennifer Hakola, Nelson, British Columbia
- Grace Huh, Chicago, Illinois
- Jan Lisaj, Pila, Poland
- John Lumiere-Wins, Emeryville, California
- Judith Lytel, PsyD, Amherst, Massachusetts
- Donald Maxwell, North York, Ontario
- Michael McCall, Tucson, Arizona
- Leonard McEwen, MSW, RSW, Spruce Grove, Alberta
- Stewart Nyholm, Westminster, Colorado
- John Octabe, DD, Breckenridge, Colorado
- Candice Pattee, Berkeley, California
- Steven Sharp, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Colleen Sheehan, Hollywood, Florida
- James Shuler, Dayton, Ohio
- Susanna Smart, Kent, Ohio
- Patricia Sorensen, Lethbridge, Alberta
- Laura Titus, Napa, California
- Gregory Valenti, Amsterdam, New York
- Michaelann Velicky, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
- Katherine Walker, Dallas,
Texas
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