Subject:        Mental Health Parity

Date:               September 22, 2008

To:                  Western Region SPAN Coordinators

From:              Fulvia Franco, NASP GPR Western Region Coordinator

 Re:                  House Vote on Parity Expected  Today

Targets:        All U.S. Representatives

Action:

This is the last week of this session of Congress.  We need to get mental health parity passed this week.  The House will take up the issue Monday, September 22 so we need to urge our Representatives to vote yes on Parity Monday.  (More details below, for those interested). 

Call your Representative NOW

using the toll-free Parity Hotline: 1-866-PARITY-4 (1-866-727-4894)

The Parity Hotline reaches the Capitol Hill Switchboard, which can connect callers to their Representative when specifically requested by name or their ZIP code is provided.

Message:

I am a constituent calling to ask Congressman/woman __________ to vote YES on mental health and addiction parity legislation when it is considered on September 22.

Background and details:

With Congress scheduling to adjourn the end of this week, action is heating up in Washington around mental health parity.  As we reported earlier this week, Senate leaders announced their intention to push forward a bipartisan tax extender package including the historic parity agreement.  However, because not all revenue losses in that tax bill are offset, there is determined resistance to passing the bill among House Democrats who do not wish to waive the “pay-as-you-go” rules. 

As a result, House leaders have informed us that the parity agreement will be considered on Monday, September 22 as a stand-alone bill, “The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008”.  The bill will be considered on the suspension calendar, which prohibits the offering of any amendments but requires a 2/3 majority for passage.  House leaders are launching this second, additional track to avoid parity’s progress being stalled by the controversy on the tax extenders bill.  Should we win the House vote, the Senate may take up the free-standing parity bill in the closing hours of the session this week.  Your Representative needs to hear from you NOW to support the vote on mental health and addiction parity on September 22.

MORE DETAILS:

Mental illness and substance abuse affects millions of families across the country. Without treatment, those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse often struggle to hold a job or make ends meet. Today, approximately forty-four million Americans suffer from mental illness, but only one-third receive treatment. A key component of this problem is that private health insurers generally provide less coverage for mental illnesses and substance abuse than for other medical conditions. A 2002 Kaiser Family Foundation study found that, while 98 percent of workers with employer-sponsored health insurance had coverage for mental health care, 74 percent of those workers were subject to annual outpatient visit limits, and 64 percent were subject to annual inpatient daily limits. 
 

Ensuring Better Access to Treatment for People Suffering From Mental Illness

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, passed by the House on September 23 by a vote of 376-47, will allow employers to offer more comprehensive mental health coverage without significant additional cost, while significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs for plan participants.

H.R. 6983 does not mandate group health plans provide any mental health coverage. However, if a plan does offer mental health coverage, then, it requires:

·       Equity in financial requirements, such as deductibles, co-payments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket expenses.

·       Equity in treatment limits, such as caps on the frequency or number of visits, limits on days of coverage, or other similar limits on the scope and duration of treatment.

·       Equality in out-of-network coverage.

H.R. 6983 would not affect state laws that offer stronger consumer protections.

Support for H.R. 6983

More than 250 national organizations have urged passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.