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COVERAGE: Mental Health Equal Treatment Bill Finally Passes Congress
If the bailout bill is depressing you, at least your health insurance will now cover the therapy.
In a rather convoluted (even by Congressional standards) procedure, the financial bailout given final approval by the House today was technically rolled into legislation that will require insurers to put mental illness on the same footing as any other health condition.
The Paul Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, sought by mental health advocates for more than a decade, would require insurance companies to have the same fees and co-pays for mental illness as for other diseases, give the same access to prescription drugs, and have the same annual and lifetime caps and limits. (It does not mandate that a health plan cover mental illness, but for those group health plans of 51 or more employees that cover mental illness—and most large health plans do—must treat it the same as other illnesses). President Bush has said he would sign it into law.
"We are ushering in a new era of health care for those with mental illnesses. No longer will we allow mental health to be treated as a stepchild in the health care system. If you have insurance, then your mental health care must be equal to the benefits you get for any other disease," Domenici said in a statement. The New Mexico Republican, who went public about his daughter's schizophrenia many years ago in an effort to help dismantle the stigma of mental illness, is retiring from the Senate this year and had fought hard to make this a legacy achievement. Among his close allies was Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose illness prevented him from voting on it this week.
"This has been a labor of love for us," Domenici added.
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Understanding PASSED Mental Health Parity Legislation 10/3/08
October 3, 2008 a day that will be remembered. The US. House of Representatives has just passed the $700 BILLION Bailout bill (I mean "Economic Recovery" Bill) The "revised" Bill includes the Mental Health Insurance parity legislation. It is hard to believe it took a "Nuclear" Economic Meltdown to get this legislation passed.
The legislation states that "mental health benefits" means benefits with respect to services for mental health conditions, as defined under the terms of the plan and in accordance with applicable Federal and State law. In other words, NO DSM IV definitions of mental illness, each PLAN will decide what Mental illness the plan will cover.
Whatever "Mental Illness" is covered would need to be covered in the same manner as regular illness, like Heart problems. In reality, this plan provides parity insurance coverage for "the chosen" mental problems designated.
This legislation is certainly BETTER than any prior federal legislation on the subject.
The legislation requires the GAO to prepare periodic studies which must include an analysis of which diagnoses are most commonly covered or excluded.
This legislation does NOT provide coverage on par with the Federal Employees Group Health program.
It certainly is a step toward change.
I am encouraged by the legislation & implore ALL OF YOU to vote November 4th.
Vote for "REAL CHANGE" for "Main Street" in 2008.
mental health coverage parity
I am very disappointed with the legislation's lack of definition and therefore lack of teeth. They talk about reducing trial litigation, ye tthis bill is a trial lawyers wet dream, this is going to invite so much litigation to determine what is covered! This will create its very own cottage industry just to sort this out, another waste of our time and money. As others have said, it is a step forward. I believe the insurance that our Senators and Congressman receive is the minimum coverage that the rest of the country should receive. If that were the standard, we would not be in the situation we are in. The double value system simply does not work. I think the people should be able to determine by "vote" what level of insurance benefits our congress and senators get. They vote on ours, so lets make an amendment that the people choose their pay and their benefits. Right now, they choose their own pay and benefits, give themselves raises, the whole deal. Did you know they get lifetime medical insurance benefits and they get extremely generous lifetime retirement payments, no matter how few terms they have served. Once they get into office, they live in a different financial reality than the rest of us. Its all academic, ideological, and ego centered for them, because they are removed from the same financial stresses that most people experience. Remember, govt is for the people and by the people. How can it be by the people, if the moment you are elected, and by the sheer act of being elected, you get so much inbenefits that others do not recieve that you are lifted out from being "of the people"? So who are you of now?