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House Parity Bill
 On March 7, 2007, Reps. Patrick Kennedy and Jim Ramstad introduced the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, designated as H.R. 1424, with 254 of their colleagues as original cosponsors. Their goal is to continue building support in the House and work towards committee action and Floor consideration this fall, and they welcome your assistance. This bill expands the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 by requiring group health plans that offer benefits for mental health and addiction to do so on the same terms as care for other diseases. The legislation closes the loopholes that allow plans to charge higher co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles, and maximum out-of-pocket limits and impose lower day and visit limits on mental health and addiction care.
Last month, The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved similar legislation, The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, sponsored by Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Domenici (R-NM), and Enzi (R-WY). Among the differences is that the House bill, informed by the sponsors' forums across the country, requires health plans offering mental health benefits to cover the same mental health and addiction disorders that are included in the health plans Members of Congress use. The Senate bill has no such provision. The bills also differ in how they impact related state laws.
The Kennedy-Ramstad legislation is modeled after the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, which covers Members of Congress and other federal workers and dependents and which implemented equality in mental health and addiction coverage in 2001. According to an exhaustive study published earlier this year by the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal employees' parity policy was implemented with "little or no increase in total MH/SA [mental health/substance abuse] spending".
USPRA is in support of both the Senate and House bills, with the goal of a final parity bill being crafted in joint conference. All members are encouraged to contact their Representative and ask them to vote “yes” to H.R.1424 and mental health parity. Go to http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml to find your Representative’s telephone, fax and contact information. You can also sign up to become a "citizen cosponsor" of the bill at www.equitycampaign.net.
SAMPLE LETTER
Date
The Honorable <First Name Last Name>
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman <Last Name>:
As a psychiatric rehabilitation professional and constituent, on behalf of <agency name>, and the individuals served, I am pleased to write in support of the "Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007" (H.R. 1424) which amends the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 to eliminate discriminatory provisions that erect obstacles to accessing care for Americans with mental health and addiction disorders. This new bill would provide mental health care coverage for over 113 million Americans and give full parity without limiting coverage to a narrow list of diagnoses. More importantly, this bill is essential to the recovery of individuals with psychiatric disabilities, many of whom currently find that they can longer receive necessary mental health care once they become competitively employed.
I strongly encourage you to vote to enact this Bill, which would improve the overall health and wellness of all Americans, as well as allow individuals with psychiatric disabilities to live more productive and fulfilling lives.
Sincerely,
Your Name
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