In a bleak news day, it was good to see that Congress finally gets it - mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as other health-related matters.
Though the bills that were passed exempt companies with less than 50 employees, it's a start in the right direction toward healthcare equity for those with mental health issues.
Here's an excerpt from Jacob Goldstein's piece:
A long fight over putting the coverage of mental health on par with other health conditions is nearly over.
Both houses of Congress yesterday passed bills that would prohibit employers who offer mental health coverage from doing things like charging higher co-pays for mental health services than for other kinds of health care. That’s long been a common practice.
“You go in there with a broken arm, you have a $200 deductible and your insurance kicks in,” Rep. Patrick Kennedy told the Washington Post. “You have depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and you find out you have a $2,000 deductible, you’ve got limitations on your treatment and all kinds of co-pay.”
Kennedy, who has battled substance abuse, is a Rhode Island Dem. and a sponsor of the bill. His dad, Sen. Ted Kennedy, now battling brain cancer, has been a champion of the legislation in the Senate.
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