Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2008

hmoroz — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:07:11 -0500

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Percent of Americans ages 18 and older who suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year: 26.2

Percentage of people who commit suicide who have a diagnosable mental disorder: 90

Percentage by which the cost-sharing for addiction benefits exceeded that for medical or surgical benefits, according to a 2007 Health Affairs study of employer-provided benefits: 46%

Out-of-pocket savings per user of mental health and substance-abuse services in the best of seven plans studies by the New England Journal of Medicine before and after the implementation of parity in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: $87.06

Percentage of insurance plans that contained at least one plan feature that was more restrictive for mental health benefits than for medical and surgical benefits two years after the implementation of the Mental Health Parity Act: 87

Date on which President Bush announced that “health plans should not be allowed to apply unfair treatment limitations or financial requirements on mental health benefits”: April 29, 2002

Approximate success rate for the treatment of depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health: 80

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Supports. While the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program has recognized the importance of providing equal coverage for mental health disorders and medical and surgical procedures since 1999, millions of middle-class Americans who are insured by other plans still struggle to afford mental health care services. Although approximately 26.2% of Americans older than 18 suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder and although mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States for individuals ages 15-44, the General Accounting Office found that 87% of health care plans impose more severe restrictions on mental health benefits than they do on medical and surgical benefits. The Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act improves upon the financial parity requirements of the Mental Health Parity Act by preventing group insurers from inhibiting beneficiaries’ access to mental health services by restricting frequency and number of office visits and days of coverage. Such restrictions force individuals seeking mental health care to pay for expensive services out-of-pocket. The legislation not only does much to remedy the discriminatory practices of insurers, but will increase access to mental health care services for middle-class Americans already struggling with high health care costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that health insurance premiums will increase by only .4%. The Parity Act also helps to dispel the misguided notion that mental health care is less important than medical and surgical services.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Testimony of David Wellstone, Co-Founder of Wellstone Action, before the House Committee on Education and Labor

"The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America", from the National Institute of Mental Health

Fact Sheet on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity from the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Medical research