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Recovery in the News
Letters to the Editor
Settling for less in mental health bill
Boston Globe
September 29, 2007
THE GLOBE falls far short in its understanding of the history of mental health parity legislation when it urges Congress to accept the weak Senate version of a 2007 bill over the House version ("Mental health breakthrough," Editorial, Sept. 25). By specifying the scope of coverage as the same that federal employees receive, the House bill, named after the late Senator Paul Wellstone, ensures that no one with any form of mental illness or addiction would face discrimination. You will recall that insurers promptly leveraged gaps in the 1996 law to require larger copayments and to restrict treatment access for people with mental illness. It is this same industry that has already signaled its intent to use diagnosis to restrict access when the next parity law is passed.
Congress should not wait to see if this discrimination will happen; it should learn from history and do everything it can to close off dangerous loopholes now. The House deserves praise for continuing to push for strong protections, and to be willing to work with the Senate toward a resolution that is truly good for patients and not just good for business. Millions of Americans who suffer from mental illness and addiction deserve no less.
Ellen Gerrity
Bethesda, MD
The writer served as senior mental health policy adviser to Senator Wellstone.