Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
(Publication Archives)

Friday Fax from Albany

NMHA Legislative Alert

Action on Parity Targeted for Anniversary of
Wellstone’s Death

Grassroots Mobilization Needed to Pass Bill!

Renewing Momentum:
Despite the broad support the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act enjoys in Congress, momentum on the legislation has slowed in both chambers. But while committee chairmen in the Senate and House have taken no action to move the Wellstone bill, it is not too late for Congress to take up and pass mental health parity legislation, and the bill’s lead sponsors and advocates, including NMHA, continue to press for action.

Wellstone-NMHA Campaign:
NMHA is also working with Senator Wellstone’s son David and Wellstone Action, the foundation he and his brother established. As we near the anniversary of the October 25, 2002, plane crash that took the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, we are jointly calling on people across the country to mount a grassroots campaign to achieve the simple goal set by the late senator and Pete Domenici: to end discrimination in health insurance against people with mental illness. As David Wellstone has told us, “There could be no more fitting memorial to my mother and father than the passage of legislation that would end discrimination against those with mental illness.”

In the Senate, the Wellstone Act, S. 486, introduced by Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., has 67 cosponsors. The companion House bill, H.R. 953, introduced by Reps. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., has 244 supporters (including 42 Republicans). More than 270 national organizations support the legislation. With the broad support already in place, a national grassroots mobilization effort can awaken leaders to the imperatives of passing this critical legislation.

Action:

1. Call the toll-free Parity Hotline, 1-866-PARITY4 (1-866-727-4894), to contact your senators and representative to urge passage of mental health parity legislation before Congress adjourns. The Parity Hotline reaches the Capitol Switchboard, which can connect callers to their Members of Congress. Alternatively, contact one of the state offices of your senators and a district office of your representative.
2. FAX letters urging passage of parity legislation to your senators and representative. See the sample letter below.

Special Targets:

As Congress approaches the end of this session, legislators are focused primarily on passing appropriations bills and on a handful of others that the Bush Administration and the Senate and House majority leadership consider top priorities. Although the issue of mental health parity is not now among those priorities, with sufficient public outcry it can be. Legislators must hear from their constituents at this critical moment, especially those who may have special influence on this issue. That is why it is particularly important that large numbers of constituents of the following members call AND write to:

In the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.; and Senator Judd Gregg, R-N.H.

In the House of Representatives, Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.; Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas; and Reps. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; Billy Tauzin, R-La.; John Boehner, R-Ohio; Bill Thomas, R-Calif.; Mike Bilirakis, R-Fla.; Sam Johnson, R-Texas; and Nancy Johnson, R-Conn.; and the following physician members, Ernie Fletcher, R-Ky.; Dave Weldon, R-Fla.; and Michael Burgess; R-Texas.

Message [ask for, and make the following points with the “Health Legislative Assistant for the member of Congress]:

“I am calling to urge that Representative [or Senator] __________ make passage of mental health parity legislation (S. 486 in the Senate and H.R. 953 in the House) a top priority before Congress adjourns this year.

“Every day families with “good health coverage” discover that loved ones who have mental illnesses can’t get needed care because their insurance sets strict limits on mental health treatment. This bill will end that discrimination.

“Insurance barriers to needed mental health treatment do enormous harm to families…and to our economy. Mental illness is the second leading cause of disability and premature death in our country. But these restrictive insurance practices – which apply only to mental disorders – cause illnesses to go untreated and worsen. Tragically, this leads to unemployment, homelessness, and even suicide. Untreated mental illness also costs our economy about $80 billion per year.

“Mental health parity legislation is a fair and affordable solution that has broad bipartisan support. It will save lives and families.

“Congress must not let another year go by without passing the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act.”

Sample letter on parity:

The Honorable_____________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative ________:
I am writing to urge Congress to take up and pass now the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, legislation to end blatant and widespread discrimination against people with mental illness.

Mental illness is the second leading cause of disability and premature mortality in the United States. Yet every day families with “good health coverage” discover that their loved ones who have mental illnesses cannot get needed care because their insurance sets strict limits on mental health treatment – like ending further coverage after a limited number of treatment sessions – but imposes no such limits on treating any other illness.

These practices are not only unfair, they’re irrational. Mental illnesses are reliably diagnosed and for virtually every mental disorder, there is a range of treatments and services that have been shown to be effective.

Health insurers who erect these barriers to medically necessary mental health treatment inflict enormous harm on American families…and on our economy. These discriminatory practices – which are applied only to mental disorders – cause illnesses to go untreated and worsen. Tragically, this lack of care leads all too often to unemployment, broken homes, school failure, and even suicide. Untreated mental illness also costs our economy about $80 billion each year -- in lost productivity, sick leave, and unemployment.

American families need a solution NOW. The solution is bipartisan legislation that would require simple parity between mental health benefits and the benefits provided to treat any other illness or injury. This simple, fair step will save lives and families.

As studies have shown, mental health parity legislation will not lead to a significant increase in insurance premiums or in the number of uninsured Americans. But the costs of NOT enacting parity are high, and will fall most heavily on taxpayer-funded public programs, our economy, and the well-being of American families and their communities.

Please make passage of a strong mental health parity bill a top priority before Congress adjourns this year.

Sincerely,

In the News:

Back Timothy's Law. Letter to the Editor
Watertown Daily Times, September 25, 2003

As someone interested in this legislation on many levels, I am writing to raise awareness of, and make my support for, Timothy's Law, now before the state Senate.

Timothy's Law would assure parity in insurance coverage for mental health treatment with that of physical illnesses. This parity could quite literally save lives, as evidenced by the suicide of Timothy O'Clair, the young teenager the bill is named after. He died as a direct result of not having coverage for his treatment.

With so many Americans, and New Yorkers in particular, having no, or inadequate, health insurance, Timothy's sad story could be that of any of ours. I know that I am very fortunate to have coverage of my prescriptions and some mental health treatment. However, the social safety net is getting more frayed all of the time.

If New York is to live up to its responsibility to all of its citizens and truly "leave no children behind," let's make sure the tools to live healthy, productive, lives are available.

Please let Sen. James Wright know that this type of protection is important.

Rebecca Shamey
Watertown

Parity Needed in Mental Health Treatment. Letter to the Editor
Buffalo News, October 5, 2003

Only 50 percent of adults with mental illness receive treatment and counseling, according to the president's New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health. The surgeon general reports that one in five Americans, including children, will need behavioral health treatment this year. People with mental health disorders need access to treatment, support and recovery-oriented rehabilitative services that are culturally sensitive and include families.

Providers are revamping systems to respond immediately and ensure access to appropriate services. However, providers cannot address issues of access without addressing payment and insurance coverage. In New York State, coverage for mental health treatment services is woefully inadequate and inconsistent with coverage for other medical care.

Timothy's Law, a parity insurance bill before the State Senate, is named for a 12-year-old boy who committed suicide because his family could not afford to get him the help he needed.

Parity issues are complicated. Simply illustrated, individuals with private insurance must pay up to 50 percent of fees for psychiatric and counseling services. This could mean several hundred dollars per month in co-pays. Very few working adults in Western New York can afford these fees. Consumers often ration their own treatment, using services only when they feel they must.

This is not a reasonable approach to disease management. Would we require or accept this system for people with heart disease or cancer?

Legislation must be passed so that insurance companies cover mental health treatment consistent with other diseases.

ANNE D. CONSTANTINO
President, CEO
Horizon Health Services
Buffalo

Mentally ill inmate care probed. Gary Craig
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, October 8, 2003

The state prison system is poorly equipped to handle mentally ill prisoners who are segregated for disciplinary reasons, inmate advocates said Tuesday at a special joint hearing in Rochester of two state Assembly committees.

“Our review of disciplinary hearings shows increasing numbers of inmates being subject to the discipline process for behavior which is the product of their serious mental illness,” said Betsy Sterling, associate director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York.

A bill pending in the Assembly would require the Department of Correctional Services to create alternative confinement for mentally ill inmates designated for solitary confinement.

The state is facing several lawsuits related to its treatment of mentally ill prisoners.

Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubrey, D-Queens, is a sponsor of the bill that would require corrections officials to handle mentally ill inmates differently. Such inmates would get treatment that helps them make the transition better when they return to their communities, Aubrey said.

Sue Porter, who is coordinator of the Judicial Process Commission in Rochester, said, “Effectively treating this population may mean fewer murders and suicides.”

Until next time, we remain,
Working to ensure available and accessible
mental health services for all New Yorkers