|
AMHCA received the following message a moment ago
on the fate of the mental health parity amendment as passed as an
amendment to the Labor-HHS-Education bill by the Senate on October 30th.
This information was published in an electronic version of the
Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Daily Monitor.
Although our efforts were not successful, we have identified many new
parity supporters in Congress - information that will be key in the
future. Many thanks to those who made calls
to your Representatives and Senators in support of these efforts. AMHCA
will continue to support mental health parity and will continue to
advocate for persons with mental disorders and the professionals that
provide their care.
Wellstone Says Talks Fail on Mental Health Parity Proposal
A leading Senate supporter of moves to broaden group health coverage for
mental illnesses conceded today that the issue has almost no chance to
pass Congress this year. The statements from Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn.,
signal that the only remaining obstacle holding up a conference
committee's work on the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill (HR 3061)
could be resolved. Wellstone and Sen. Pete V. Domenici, R- N.M., had
offered an amendment that would have barred employers who offer
mental-health coverage from imposing tighter restrictions on that
coverage than on coverage for physical illnesses.
Wellstone said the proposal was opposed by the White House and
Republican lawmakers. And he said it appears unlikely the mental health
parity provision will be attached to another bill this year. Main
conferees on the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill are likely to meet
tomorrow to wrap up their report.
Beth Powell
AMHCA Director of Public Policy and Professional Issues
801 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 304
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-6002, ext. 105
www.amhca.org
|
