Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:00 pm
To the editor:
On Feb. 7, HB 3616 overwhelmingly passed the Oregon House 53-5. The Senate passed it 16-14 on Feb. 22.
In the moments between the Senate passing the bill and it returning for final House approval, the lobbyists smeared LPC credibility and clearly influenced the Republican vote, causing it to fail in the end. What makes it so incredible is the bill had such convincing support just days prior. The bottom line is Linn County desperately needs this policy.
HB 3616 acknowledged Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) equal to Social Workers and Nurse Practitioners. HB 3616's language protected consumers from fraudulent practitioners with licensure issues resulting from unethical or unprofessional practice. Counselors can practice legally after serious licensure infractions.
A coalition to strengthen LPC's vocational livelihood has pursued this legislation for years. Rep. Sherrie Sprenger (R) and Sen. Fred Girod (R) did not support the bill.
Recently the Oregonian printed an article about unlicensed therapists (having sex with clients) who continued to practice. HB 3616 would have addressed this and required insurance companies to reimburse Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) as mental health professionals clinically skilled to evaluate, diagnose, and treat clients with various psychopathologies. Be clear: LPCs are clinicians with these competencies.
Under HB 3616, HMOs and insurance companies would be required to reimburse LPC's for mental health services. Most plans do pay LPCs. Yet some of the largest conglomerates maintain exclusion. Opposing interests included the Oregon Psychological Association (OPA) and Regence (Blue Cross/Blue Shield). Regence insures public employees, a large population. They have powerful lobbyists. OPA considers this issue a turf war while patients go underserved.
Do Sprenger and Girod not realize the need for their constituents to have access to critical healthcare services? When was the last time you or someone you know made an appointment with a psychologist or psychiatrist and got right in? Psychologists have a greedy notion that LPCs are going to infringe on their "turf." I am keenly aware of populations of people who seek help with limited resources. The passing of this bill would have benefited countless people. Now, people in our area will continue to go underserved.
Tom Ayala L.P.C.
Lebanon