Advocacy organizations are getting behind the House bill for health reform (HR 3962) citing benefits to those with a mental illness or addictive disorder. Organizations such as AARP and the American Medical Association, announced their support today. With encouraging signs, Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed optimism that this will pass the House, perhaps as soon as Saturday, with the 218 needed. Opponents are launching campaigns to "kill the bill."
What's in this bill for people with mental illness and addictive disorders? The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law prepared a detailed summary of how this could :
•underwrite parity and ending insurance discrimination for mental health and substance use disorders;
•end exclusions for pre-existing conditions;
•expand Medicaid to 150% of poverty level, which will assist people with a mental illness transition to the community from prisons;
•provide insurance for adolescents in transition when their family insurance often expires;
•encourage collaboration and coordination of care to include primary care services with mental health services;
•expand drug discounts to include public addiction and mental health providers.
Significant in the public conversation is the calculation from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) noting:
"the proposal approved by the Committee on Finance would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $81 billion over the 2010-2019 period, and that H.R. 3962 would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $104 billion over the same period."
Changes based on a set of amendments submitted by members of the House on Tuesday have not yet been addressed.
A sampling of comments and analysis include:
Topics: addiction, Congress, health reform, mental illness, politics
