It took a long time, but the Federal Parity Law is now in effect and health insurance plans should be covering mental health issues equal to issues related to the body.  It makes sense, after all the brain is part of the body!

Below is an excerpt from the most recent “E-News” from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

For many group health plans, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act went into effect on January 1, 2010. The new law requires most group health plans to cover treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders on the same terms and conditions as medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and asthma. Specifically the new law bars health plans from imposing durational treatment limits (caps on inpatient days or outpatient visits) or financial limitations (higher cost sharing, deductibles or out of pocket limits) that do not also apply to medical-surgical coverage.

The effective date of the new law is actually the beginning of the first new plan year after October 3, 2009. The new law applies to all group health plans sponsored by employers with 50 or more workers.

• View NAMI’s factsheet on the new law
• View a Powerpoint presentation on the new law

Is Your Health Plan in Compliance With Parity?

NAMI is seeking information from individuals and families on how the new law is working. This information is critical to informing policymakers in the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration on additional steps that may need to be taken to strengthen the law and ensure adequate enforcement. In addition, it is critical for NAMI to demonstrate to the larger public that parity is making a real difference in improving coverage of mental illness treatment and expanding access to critical medical services for children and adults living with mental illness.

Discrimination against people with mental illness is all too prevalent, but what does someone do when someone in your family is being stigmatized by their own family members? 

A member of the family, we’ll call him the Father, was diagnosed with schizophrenia approximately fifteen years ago, but it wasn’t until this week that his sister was given that information.  They live across the country from each other and and don’t see each other often, but the sister has always know that her brother was “quirky.”  She knew he was brilliant and that he had scored very high on a IQ test while in high school and always considered him a genius.  Over the last several years she often wondered if her brother had a mental illness diagnosis, but no one else in the family thought it possible.  That is, no one besides her sister-in-law who finally shared the information after living with him for over twenty years and raising a family. 

The sister, who believes that mental illness should not be kept in the closet and needs to be spoken about feels frustrated and saddened by her brother’s family’s inability to share openly an illness that needs to be discussed.  It is the first step in reducing stigma.

All that can be done  is to encourage the family to be open.  This is an issue that they must come to grips with on their own, but here are some suggestions (some from the www.nami.org website) to anyone interested in reducing mental illness stigma. 

Use of Language is Most Important

•  Protest usage of single words like “crazy” “psycho” “wacko” or “loony” unless they refer directly to individuals struggling with mental illnesses or to the illness itself.
•  ”Schizophrenic” to describe a split decision made by Congress or any organization has become part of our cultural language. However, its misuse is being heard and corrected by many in the public arena.
•  Protest calling a person a “schizophrenic”: NAMI policy calls for PEOPLE FIRST: people, persons, individuals with a mental illness, schizophrenia, bipolar, clinical depression, OCD, panic disorder.

Above all else, get educated and know that mental illness, like any other illness is a biological disorder;  it can be successfully treated and recovery is more than possible, it’s probable.  Ignorance has caused people to abandon their family members and encouraged the person with the diagnosis to isolate themselves. 

Just like a person living with cancer or diabetes, a person with mental illness needs support and acceptance from their family and friends. 

There is a genetic predisposition, so everyone in the family needs to know what the symptoms and “red flags” are.  Sometimes is takes years, even decades before a person is diagnosed.  It is proven than the earlier a person receives treatment, the better the outcome.

Encourage our legislators to treat mental illnesses with parity so that insurance coverage is equal for mental illnesses with physical illnesses.

Bottom line is we need to accept people for who they are, with or without any illness and be there to support and encourage them as equal human beings.

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.