Mental Health Parity - HF 139

The Iowa House of Representatives is considering opening debate on HF 139 - Health Care Coverage and Veterans Wellness Act.

This bill would require insurance plans to cover mental health illnesses and substance abuse treatment like any other medical condition.

It also extends immediate coverage to Iowa veterans who currently must wait 6-9 months before mental health benefits are available.

Send the e-mail below to your Representative and let them know you support mental health equality!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support HF 139 - Mental Health Parity

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I write to you in support of HF 139, and urge you to bring it to the floor for full debate.

Mental health illnesses and substance abuse treatment are continually treated differently than other medical conditions.

The Health Care Coverage and Veterans Wellness Act will ensure equality for necessary and essential treatment.

This act also extends immediate benefits to Iowa veterans who must wait upwards of 6-9 months for VA covered mental health coverage.

Again, I urge you bring HF 139 to the floor, and support this necessary and essential reform to Iowa's health care system.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
February 09, 2009


Background Information

  • 90% of Iowa inmates report having a substance abuse problem and 40.1% have a mental health diagnosis.

 

  • Experience in other states does NOT demonstrate expansion of benefits for mental health services results in higher costs or significantly increased utilization.

 

  • The Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center in Waterloo expects a 25% increase in the number of new patients this year compared to last year. While some of the new cases are people with psychiatric conditions caused by a string of recent disasters in the area, others are people suffering from anxiety and depression brought on by the economic downturn.

 

  • A recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association found that almost half of all adults said they are increasingly stressed about their ability to provide for their family's basic needs. In fact, about 8 out of 10 adults said that the economy is a significant cause of stress, up from 66 percent in April.

 

  • Addiction treatment has been shown to cut drug use in half, reduce crime by 80%, and reduce arrests by up to 64%.

 

  • According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration), in 2007, 23.2 million people, or 9.6% of the population, had a substance abuse problem but only 10% of those who needed treatment, received it at a specialty facility. Therefore, there were 20.8 million people, or 8.4% of the population, who needed but did not receive treatment for drug or alcohol abuse.

 

  • Over 40% of those who tried to get help for their addiction were denied treatment because of cost or insurance barriers.

 

  • Every year, alcohol and drug problems cost America countless lives and more than $300 billion dollars. Business and labor feel the impact in lost worker productivity, rising healthcare and insurance costs, and alcohol or drug related accidents on the job. Our communities across the country see the epidemic manifested in higher school drop out rates, increased alcohol- or drug-related vehicle fatalities, more instances of domestic or child abuse, and rising crime rates.

 

  • Iowa taxpayers pay for untreated mental illness and substance abuse one way or another - through public supported mental health and substance abuse programs, and in our jails and prisons (the Department of Corrections has said 90% of their population have a mental illness or substance abuse problem). Tax-supported programs should no longer be picking up the cost for the private sector failing to treat mental illness and substance abuse equally - and the taxpayer gets a better deal paying the pennies up front through a 0-.5% premium increase than in the prisons, jails, and public mental health/substance abuse treatment programs.

 

  • Veterans and their families deserve quick access to treatment. Under the bill, veterans would have access to treatment without waiting 6-9 months to get VA services. As Rep. Ray Zirkelbach (who served three years in Iraq) says about the minor increase in premiums, "It is the price of freedom."