The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) requests active support for parity legislation. The National Council informed PCPA that the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (HR 1424) may be voted in the US House of Representatives on March 5. According to the National Council, revenue offsets being considered to pay for the legislation are controversial and include increasing the amount of Medicaid drug rebates certain pharmaceutical companies must pay and limitations on specialty hospitals. Details of these revenue offset provisions were not available. Nor was it clear whether the Medicare mental health parity provision would be included in the final bill.
HR 1424 prohibits group health plans from imposing treatment or financial limitations on mental health benefits that are different from those applied to medical/surgical services. The legislation applies only to group health plans already providing mental health benefits and exempts plans sponsored by businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Senate parity legislation (S. 558) passed unanimously in September. Bill language can be viewed through the GPO Access web site (www.gpoaccess.gov/bills/browse.html).
PCPA members
are requested to contact their Congressional representatives and ask them
to support HR 1424. Find contact information for representatives at www.house.gov.
All members of Congress may also be reached through the Capitol Switchboard
by dialing 202-224-3121 and asking to be connected to the specific office.
The National Council recommends the following message: "I am calling
to ask the representative to support immediate passage of HR 1424 and to oppose
any amendments to weaken the legislation. Parity for both mental health and
addictions treatment is a crucial and fair solution to insurance discrimination
and will save both lives and families." PCPA requests that members please
share responses received from representatives with Anne
McHugh Leisure.
A national call-in day in support of parity is scheduled on March 4. National Council will provide additional information to PCPA as it becomes available.
