The law included a six month extension of higher Medicaid federal matching funds for states – a major contribution towards some of the drastic slashes in mental health coverage in Arizona.

Recent budget slashes (I prefer that term over cuts as I feel it’s much more descriptive) in the state’s healthcare system for the poor have forced many people to search for alternatives to afford their medications. Some are going to Canada, while some have been fortunate to be able to get discounts directly from the pharmaceutical companies. I applaud the efforts of some of the drug companies to help and I wish they would all step up.

While illegal immigration and calls to enforce the border by sending in troops occupies the headlines, our state’s most vulnerable citizens are doing the best they can just to survive.  In my world they take priority over someone who has illegally crossed our borders to look for a better way of life.  Helping disabled and seriously mentally ill people is not only money well spent, it’s the “right” thing to do!

How Did Your Member Vote?

View the House roll call vote on final passage of HR 1586

Both McCain and Kyle voted no when the bill went through the senate.

Read further details on the provisions in HR 1586 designed to support state Medicaid programs into 2011.

But, this catastrophic Gulf oil spill has gotten me down.  I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who live in the area affected. And that area is growing day by day.  If you listen to some doomsday “sayers” this is just the beginning of a global crisis that could change the world as we know it. One can’t help but get nostalgic thinking about the days most of us have spent frolicking on white sand and splashing in the ocean. Some of my favorite childhood memories are from family vacations spent on the beach.  Many times it was on a Gulf of Mexico beach.  Same is true for my daughter, except that it was usually the Sea of Cortez.

What I can say for a fact is that the Gulf of Mexico is experiencing the biggest threat to it’s environment in history and it makes me want to cry.  When I first heard of the oil spill, I had this sinking feeling in my stomach.  Some how I knew intuitively this wasn’t just another oil spill. Now, almost two months later most of the world knows it’s the worst environmental disaster in history.  Scary part is, we still don’t know how to stop it.

A few facts we do know:

• 11 people lost their lives in the initial explosion
• Efforts to cap it or plug it have been unsuccessful
• Relief well may or may not work
• Dispersant’s being used are toxic
• Skimming works in a very small area
• Small portion of the oil is being recaptured
• Thousands of people’s livelihoods have been disrupted

No one really knows how this will end. President Obama said in his speech on Tuesday that we should all pray.  Some made fun of that suggestion.  It reminded me of the bumper stickers that say “Visualize Peace,”  or the adage “the power of positive thinking.”  So,  I think we should all visualize a clean Gulf – it can’t hurt! Thinking about a clean beach and aqua blue seas can definitely lighten my mood!!

From the Progress Report:  RADICAL RIGHT — NEW RIGHT-WING CRAZE PRAYS THAT OBAMA’S ‘DAYS BE FEW’: The newest far-right craze is an anti-Obama slogan making its way onto t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and even teddy bears and baby bibs: “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8,” which reads, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” It’s unclear whether the intent is to hope for an end to Obama’s time in office — or an end to his life. But the sentiment of the rest of psalm suggests the latter: “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.” Diana Butler Bass at Beliefnet explains that Psalm 109 is one of the “imprecatory” prayers, “a lament in the form of petition to destroy one’s enemies.” While perhaps intended to be a joke, she notes that the psalm actually “entreats God to destroy the president.” CafePress.com and Zazzle.com, which had been selling “Pray for Obama” items, took them down. Yesterday, however, a Cafe Press representative told The Progress Report that the site was reinstating the merchandise because it deemed it “fair political commentary.” Cafe Press is now asking users to vote on whether the merchandise should continue to be sold. On Tuesday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow spoke with “Patience With God” author Frank Schaeffer, who said that while the psalm was “frightening” in a secular context, it’s even “more threatening” in a biblical context.

I know there are many people that don’t like our President, but this is not the first time I have heard of slogans and rhetoric that have been openly threatening to him and his family.  What ever happened to “you reap what you sew?’  Or, the power of positive thought?  Some may say that “wishing his days are few” isn’t threatening, but what about the intent behind it?  Intent means more than words.

I may not be thrilled with the economy, the wars, the growing deficit, and the current state of healthcare insurance,  but the last thing I wish is for someone, anyone for that matter, is to wish “his days be few.”

Oh, and just to end this on a funny note for the holidays…..

Why won’t President Obama be having turkey for Thanksgiving?

Vice-President Biden will be out of town!  (now that’s the kind of political humor that makes me laugh and no, the intention is not to turn Biden into a turkey!)

If you believe, as I do, that mental illnesses are illness just like any other, than why was this man, who supposedly treated other people with brain disorders, not receiving treatment himself?  Did  anyone not notice how he was struggling?  According to the “God Blogging” post on this site, NPR interviewed others at Walter Reed who said he was. 

Which brings us back to the same problem, the same issues that continue to plague people with mental illness and their families.  Because of the stigma, because of the inattention by our health care system that doesn’t think the mind is part of one’s physical health, because of an overburdened mental healthcare system, because people suffering from a mental illness can feel isoloated and abandoned by their support structure, people with diagnosable brain disorders are falling through the cracks.  One again, as President Obama called this tragedy, “a horrific” catastrophe has occured in this country.

Who knows what was going on in Hasan’s head……Certainly listening to war stories from our returning Veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was not an easy thing to do, but why is it that no one saw the signs, especially when he was set to deploy at the end of the month? Maybe Major Hasan will be able to shed some light on our questions.

Perhaps I’m just jealous, and I know this blog is probably going to cause many people to be angry with me and I apologize for that. It’s not that I don’t believe in breast cancer awareness (my grandmother had to have a double mastectomy), but as an advocate for people with mental illness I wish there was more awareness and less stigma about mentall illnesses that effect 25% of our population in any given year and causes more disability that any other illness. Yet, with proper treatment, 70-80% of people living with mental illness do recover! Still, no one knows about it! Even the National Mental Illness Awareness Week the first part of October was totally overshawdowed by “pink ribbons.”

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has called for an increase in research spending for the National Institutes for Mental Health.  Below is the statement from their website.
Please take the time to register your thoughts.

NAMI Calls for Increase in NIH Funding
NAMI is joining advocates from across the nation in asking President Obama to make medical research for improving health care a priority and support robust funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
NAMI and other illness and patient advocacy groups are rallying advocates to contact the White House this week in support of significant annual increases for NIH.
“NAMI is pleased to join other disease advocacy organizations in support of the ‘Research Means Hope’ movement to ensure that the president’s FY 2011 budget meets the goal of making biomedical research funding a national priority,” says Michael J. Fitzpatrick, NAMI Executive Director. “Investment in medical research is the source of hope for people living with serious mental illness.”
“Direct and indirect costs of mental illness impact the federal budget overall and state and local communities nationwide, including a substantial and growing burden imposed on “default” systems such as emergency rooms, homeless shelters, police, jails and prisons.”
“Adequate investment in research on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and other disorders is essential for our nation to address these human and financial costs. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has received more than $368 million in ARRA funding to support meritorious grants and invest in new ‘challenge’ grants and ‘grand opportunity’ grants.”
President Obama needs to continue this investment in his FY 2011 budget proposal.”
How you can help
Now is a particularly important time for President Obama to hear from advocates because he is working with his administration to determine the FY 2011 budget priorities.
• Take Action: Send a message to President Obama on NIH funding.
• Learn more: Details on Proposed Mental Illness Research Funding.

You can access direct links for taking action on the blogroll lists on this site.

President Obama shared his vision for health care reform—and stressed his support of mental health parity—at a New Hampshire town hall meeting on Aug. 11.

Linda Becher, an audience member, specifically asked the president about access to mental health care and its impact on society. The president acknowledged the seriousness of mental illnesses and the reality that many existing insurance policies do not cover them on the same terms as physical illnesses. President Obama also expressed his desire to include mental health care as part of health care reform.

Watch President Obama speak about mental health care at 48:43 or read the transcript below.

QHello, Mr. President. My name is Linda Becher (ph). I’m from Portsmouth and I have proudly taught at this high school for 37 years…I’ve been lucky enough to have very good health care coverage and my concerns currently are for those who do not. And I guess my question is if every American who needed it has access to good mental health care, what do you think the impact would be on our society?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you raise the — (applause) — you know, mental health has always been undervalued in the health insurance market. And what we now know is, is that somebody who has severe depression has a more debilitating and dangerous illness than somebody who’s got a broken leg. But a broken leg, nobody argues that’s covered. Severe depression, unfortunately, oftentimes isn’t even under existing insurance policies.

So I think — I’ve been a strong believer in mental health parity, recognizing that those are serious illnesses. (Applause.) And I would like to see a mental health component as part of a package that people are covered under, under our plan. Okay? (Applause.)

This all sounds good, but I don’t know if  we will see any kind of health care reform if some of the fear mongering doesn’t subside. Terms like “death panels” certainly don’t help to move the legislation, in any form, forward.  Personally, I like what I hear about Switzerland’s health care system…..A basic plan is provided and they have the option to “upgrade” at their own expense if they choose.  That’s all I want……basic coverage for everyone!

Here’s what healthcare reform will do:

* Health care reform will stop insurance company abuses like  refusing to pay a claim or give you coverage because of “pre-existing” conditions. (Been there)
– Your out-of-pocket expenses will be capped. (Methinks bankruptcies will decrease!)
– Insurance companies won’t be allowed to charge women higher rates than men (been there) or drop you if you get sick.
– Insurance companies will have to cover your children until age 26 instead of dumping them at 19. (been there – they should at least  be covered under family plans while they are in  college!)

* Health care reform will hold down rising costs. (been there – I now have less than adequate coverage because I can no longer afford my old plan)
– A public health insurance option will force private insurers to compete and will lower costs for everyone. (yeah!)
– By requiring companies to pay their fair share, we’ll stop them from dumping their health care costs on the rest of us. (when I owned a small business I offered health insurance to my employees……it helped keep my personal premium cost down!  Now I understand that’s not necessarily the case if there is one employee with expensive health issues – that’s wrong, too!)

* Health reform means affordable health care will be there for you, no matter what. If you lose your job, or your children lose their coverage. (  we have all heard stories about kids moving back in as adults!) 

- When you retire affordable health care will be there for you. (it’s called Medicare and it was vehemently debated and accused of being “socialism”  when passed)

THE REALITY:   health care costs are spiraling out of control, and we all deserve quality and affordable care. Health care reform simply can’t wait.