[Fwd: Fwd: Bazelon Center Alert on Parity Bills]
Dawn Schneider
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Dawn Schneider wrote:
I thought this may interest someone.
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Subject: Fwd: Bazelon Center Alert on Parity Bills
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From: Publications Desk <pu...@bazelon.org>
Reply-To: "pu...@bazelon.org" <pu...@bazelon.org>
Subject: Bazelon Center Alert on Parity Bills
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 11:41:05 -0400
Organization: Bazelon Center
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"PARITY" BILLS INTRODUCED IN BOTH HOUSES
Support Needed to End Health Insurance Discrimination
April 30, 1999-Two bills introduced last week would end discrimination
between mental health and medical/surgical care in health insurance
policies. Both build on the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act, which bans
different lifetime and annual spending caps for mental and general health
care. The bills apply only to plans that already provide mental health
benefits, and would not require plans to offer such benefits.
The House bill has strong support from mental health advocacy groups. The
Senate's approach, while welcome, has elicited concern.
House Bill Calls for Full Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Parity
Comprehensive legislation introduced by Representatives Marge Roukema
(D-NJ), Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Bob Wise (D-WV) would provide full parity
for insurance coverage of mental health and addiction services. H.R. 1515,
The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Amendments of 1999, would
prohibit health insurance plans from imposing inpatient hospital day and
outpatient-visit limits or applying different deductibles, co-payments,
out-of-network charges and other financial requirements for mental health
treatment. Its provisions apply to individuals diagnosed with any mental
illness or substance abuse disorder. The bill would essentially close the
gaps in current federal law and create a nondiscrimination policy for
people with private health insurance.
The bill would also amend the 1996 Parity Act to eliminate the sunset
provision, under which the 1996 parity law would terminate September 30,
2001 and end the current exemption for employers who show that their health
insurance premiums rose more than 1% as a result of complying with the 1996
Parity Act.
Co-sponsors of H.R. 1515 include Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA), Brian
Baird (D-WA), Constance Morella (R-MD) and Ted Strickland (D-OH).
Senate Bill Would Cover Care for Some Mental Illnesses, No Addiction
Services
The bill introduced by Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Paul Wellstone
(D-MN), the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 1999 (S. 796), would
take a critical step toward removing discriminatory barriers to health care
for many people with mental illnesses. It does not address parity for
addictive disorders.
The Senate bill would prohibit group health plans from setting arbitrary
day and visit limits on services for all mental disorders, putting insurers
on notice that mental health care should not be treated differently than
general health care. It would provide full parity, including equal
co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, but only for
specified severe "biologically based" mental illnesses.
As does the House bill, S. 796 would amend the 1996 Parity Act to remove
the 2001 sunset provision and the 1% cost exemption. It would also expand
current law by increasing the scope of coverage to include small businesses
with 25 or more employees (the 1996 Act applies only to businesses with 50
or more employees).
S. 796 makes a fundamental distinction between mental illnesses
demonstrated to be "biologically based" and those seen as having other
causes. It would exclude many childhood disorders, anxiety disorders and
mild to moderate depressive disorders, as well as Tourette Syndrome and
bulimia.
The illnesses outlined as eligible for full parity are:
* schizophrenia,
* bipolar disorder,
* major depression,
* obsessive compulsive disorder,
* panic disorder,
* post-traumatic stress disorder,
* autism,
* and other severe and disabling biologically based mental disorders such
as anorexia nervosa and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Proposed Distinction Is Retrogressive
The Bazelon Center objects to this distinction. Federal endorsement of a
higher standard for coverage of some mental illnesses is a step backward.
No other condition must meet such a test concerning its causes before
insurance will pay for its treatment. Highly effective treatments are
available for mild to moderate depression (caused, for example, by grief)
or anxiety disorders (such as that caused by extreme stress or childhood
trauma). The Senate's proposed approach would provide less coverage for
these conditions than for major depression or panic disorder.
The Bazelon Center and more than 20 other national mental health groups
were concerned enough about setting this precedent in insurance regulation
to write the sponsors urging changes. S. 796 could lead to policies in
other contexts that require higher standards for mental health services
than for physical health care.
S. 796 has been co-sponsored by Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Arlen Specter
(R-PA), Harry Reid (D-MN), Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and John Chafee (R-RI). It
will be offered on the Senate floor, probably as an amendment to another
measure. The bill has a significant chance of passage.
What You Can Do
House bill: Call or write your Representative and urge him or her to sign
on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1515, The Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Parity Amendments of 1999.
Senate bill: Call or write both of your Senators to
* express your qualified support for S. 796, The Mental Health Equitable
Treatment Act of 1999, as legislation that will create parity in
health insurance between mental health care and health care; and
* urge them to seek every opportunity to amend S. 796 to remove the
distinction between "biologically based" and other mental
illnesses, while still supporting passage of a parity amendment.
Write:
The Honorable _____________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable _____________________
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone or Fax:
Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard, 202-224-3121, and ask for your
Representative's or Senator's office.
Email: (use only as a last resort, it gets much less attention) forms at
Help Spread the Word. Disseminate this Alert to others who care about
mental health coverage.
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