The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) has announced an ACTION ALERT regarding national mental health parity legislation. According to information provided by the NCCBH, S. 543 - which passed the US Senate on October 30 - is scheduled for a conference committee (which consists of both House and Senate members) discussion and possible vote by the end of this week.
Below please find the NCCBH alert, as well as its attached position paper (a PDF file) on S. 543. You will note that four Pennsylvania Congressmen are targeted for support of this legislation. They are as follows:
- Rep. John E. Peterson (R-Forest, Clinton, Elk, Cameron, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Armstrong, Centre, Clarion, Crawford, Lycoming);
- Rep. Don Sherwood (R-Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lycoming including Scranton);
- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Philadelphia, Delaware); and
- Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Indiana, Somerset, Cambria, Westmoreland, Armstrong).
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact either Melissa DiSanto Simmons or Rebecca May at PCPA.
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE
****ACTION ALERT****
Senate-Passed Mental Health Parity Moves to Conference,
Aggressive Grassroots Campaign Needed to Win Enactment
The campaign for mental health parity moves to a more challenging arena after Senate approval Oct. 30 of S. 543, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. A conference committee of House and Senate appropriators will meet next week to reconcile the bills. The attached document details the issues at stake, who to contact in each state and a toll-free number set up to press for a fair mental health parity bill. If you have questions about the bill or require additional information, contact Pope Simmons, senior vice president for government relations.