NAPPP Network Model
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click Question To See Answer
- Who is Dr. Nicholas Cummings?
- Why Practitioner Owned & Managed?
- Advantages of The NAPPP Model
- Training Programs
- How Will The Network Work?
- Who Can Participate?
- How Do I Get Started?
- Back To NAPPP Home Page
Former APA President, Nicholas A. Cummings, PhD, is a member of the
legendary "Dirty Dozen," a group of practitioners that fought for
professionalism, licensure and third-party reimbursement. He
implemented the first comprehensive psychotherapy insurance and pushed
for the freedom of choice legislation that led to third party
reimbursement of psychologists. Cummings founded the National Council
of Schools of Professional Psychology and the National Academies of
Practice-- two institutions that shaped the professional school
movement and the psychologist as behavioral primary-care physician.
Dr. Cummings started the first practitioner-managed behavioral health
delivery system in the United States. American Biodyne
was innovative, successful, and ahead of its time. He is recognized as
the foremost expert on the delivery of mental health care. Nick
Cummings is a life long advocate for professional psychology and
practice
Dr. Cummings is president of the Foundation for Behavioral Health, and
chair of the boards of The Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Foundation and
the University Alliance for Behavioral Care Inc. Dr. Cummings was born
in Salinas, California and earned his PhD in clinical psychology from
Adelphi University. Presently, Dr. Cummings is on the Board of
Directors of The National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers.
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Almost every doctoral level profession has banded together to promote
their services and start practitioner-owner service delivery systems.
MDs, dentists, podiatrists, and now NPs are establishing groups where
they can control their practices. Psychologists, who have never really
had any education in the economics of practice building or ownership,
continue in single office practices or on managed care panels competing
with masters level personnel. We have we been left out of the growth
areas of healthcare and organizations like APA will not even allow us
to take CE business courses that could educate us on how to run
efficient practices.
Why should managed care get rich off of our services and the misery of
our patients? Economically and otherwise, we have the
abilities to band together to create a service delivery organization
that promotes economies of scale but, more importantly,
is practitioner-owned and managed. Marketing our services is difficult
when you are a one person operation. Having a marketing function in a
service delivery organization can do that for us more effectively and
efficiently. Billing is expensive for the one person office.
Collections is even a bigger problem. When we band together and work as
a team, we control every aspect of practice. We cut costs as we
increase services to our patients. And, we get to keep a larger part of
what we earn. Psychologists are long past due owning and controlling
our services. The NAPPP Network Model, that was developed by Dr. Nick
Cummings, is a successful model.
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Before detailing the advantages of the NAPPP Network Model, let's look
at a brief outline of the model. The model is patterned after the
Kaiser Healthcare model. In that model physicians who are selected to
join the company are given partnerships. The company is responsible for
marketing its products, administrating company affairs, billing,
collections,
professional training and purchasing. Practitioners provide the
services. The NAPPP Network Model, as developed by Dr. Cummings, takes
the best of the Kaiser model and adopts it to behavioral health care
delivery. Selected participants,
which will be restricted to licensed doctoral level psychologists, will
become partners in the network. Each will be provided one share of
stock. The network will seek and negotiate contracts with employers and
other entities. The network will setup billing systems and do
collections, when necessary. The network will train participants in
aspects of practice that have not been available to psychologists. The
network will seek and train behavioral healthcare managers from the
practitioner-owner ranks. The network will negotiate insurance,
supplies and other services and supplies for participants.
Practitioner-owners, as with the Kaiser model, will provide services to
the network's contractees.
The advantages to this model are many.
First and foremost, practitioners will have an ownership stake in the network.
As the network grows, practitioner-owners become a moving force in mental health.
Second,
only doctoral level psychologists can be participants in the network.
This eliminates the managed care strategy of driving down
psychologist's fees by using masters level counselors.
Third,
psychologists will decide how, when, where, and what we practice.
Practice protocols will be based on what is beneficial for our patients
and our network. Good business and good practice go hand in hand. We
need to break through the negative connotations that academics have
given to psychologists who recognize that psychological practice is
also a business.
Fourth, The network can produce economies of scale where practice related goods and services can be purchased at lower prices.
Fifth.
Standardized and centralized, online billing through the network will
eliminate the nightmares associated with billing and collections.
Sixth.
Because the network will be negotiating contractual terms, wait times
for payment can be dramatically reduced resulting in greater cash flow.
These are only a few of the advantages of the NAPPP Network Model. All
practitioners who sign up to receive further information, will receive
updated information as it occurs.
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Training is a very important part of providing quality services. From
the clinical side of practice, practitioner-owners must respond to the
patient's needs. Some services can be delivered more effectively on a
one -to-one basis. Other services are best delivered in group sessions.
Many practitioners lack training in deciding when and how to utilize a
particular treatment strategy. The Network has an obligation to provide
on-going quality training so practitioner-owners can compete with other
service providers but also because it's good business to employ
efficient and effective treatment strategies. Dr. Cummings, through the
Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Healthcare, has given to NAPPP the
following courses.
These courses are currently available on DVDs for CE credits as well as
training. These courses can also be accumulated toward an online
Masters Degree in Behavioral Health Administration (MBHA) that is now
in development. These courses will only be available through NAPPP and
to practitioner-owners who are selected to participate in the network.
An example of what is available are the following courses:
* The Biodyne Model of delivery 70 CE units Drs. N. & J. Cummings
* Mental Health Entrepreneurship 30 CE units Dr. Nicholas A. Cummings
* Medical Psychology 30 CE units Dr. Janet Cummings
* Mental Health Management 30 CE units Dr. Ronald Fish
* Healthcare Economics 30 CE units Prof. Jeanne Wendel
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The proposed network will work as follows. Please note that what
follows is not set in stone but is presented to give you an idea of
what is being contemplated. Participants will apply to the network.
Assuming you are selected to participate, you will be asked to start
and complete the training process. Upon successful completion of
training, you will be offered an ownership position in the network.
Depending upon your geographic location, you will know precisely the
number of contracts that we have negotiated in your area. You will know
exactly the number of persons covered by the contract(s). You will be
given access to the network's proprietary online billing, patient
eligibility, and communication system. All prospective patients covered
by the contract(s) in your area will be provided with your name,
practice type, and location.
When a patient calls to make an appointment, you will have immediate
access to their eligibility. All covered patients will have been prior
authorized. When the patient is seen and treatment is rendered, you
will bill through the online system. Treatment will follow protocols
and modalities for specific conditions that the network has designated.
Any departure from network protocols may be allowed after consultation
with a network consultant. We intend that the structure of the network
will be flexible but based on sound and proven treatment guidelines and
business practices. On-going training and consultation will always be
available.
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Participation will not be an automatic privilege. We want dedicated and
skilled clinicians who are willing and able to work in a network as
practitioner-owners. We need participants who understand that practice
is a business and who are dedicated to providing quality services
effectively and efficiently. We need participants who understand that
on-going training is a necessary condition for both competence and
competitiveness. The network needs participants who agree that
ownership is a value and are able and willing to discard old and
unusable notions that stop one from being a good clinician and
successful practitioner. We need practitioners who are willing to work
collegially and put aside the tendency to "go it alone" at the expense
of success and the profession. Thus, attitude is as important as the
level of skill one brings to the network. We do not care what school
you were trained from -- Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D., all degrees are
welcome. Years in practice is only one criteria. Ability and
willingness to learn can be more important than years of practice.
There will be ample opportunity for prospective participants to assess
the network as the network assesses participants.
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All you have to do is to fill out the below form and send an updated CV to
Dr. Jeffrey Bragman. You will then be contacted with further information.
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