by: Ryan Coyle
The Mental Health Parity Act is a positive policy for people with mental illnesses. This act was passed in 1996 and was just recently updated for 2004-2009. This Parity act helped to improve insurance coverage and benefits for the treatment of mental illness. Mental illness was not always understood in the past and people suffering from mental illnesses were not always treated the same when it came to insurance coverage. This policy ensures that people receive proper treatment for mental illnesses and that they are not discriminated against. What aspect of the policy is that plans must cover employees with mental illnesses under the same terms as other illnesses. One example is the Parity Act in Massachusetts which states that "Health plans must provide mental health benefits on a nondiscriminatory basis for the diagnosis and treatment of biologically-based mental health disorders"...."“Nondiscriminatory basis” means that copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, unit of service limits (e.g., hospital days, outpatient visits), and/or annual or lifetime maximums are not greater for mental disorders than those required for physical conditions, and office visit copayments are not greater than those required for primary care visits"( http://www.mass.gov).
Mental illness is very common these days and so many Americans suffer from it. According to an article in the Washington Post, the U.S is number one in the world for mental illnesses. Since there is such a large amount of Americans who suffer from such illnesses it should be treated the same as any other illness. Mental illness is just like any other illness and people should not be turned down because of it. A mental illness is just like a physical illness and it should not be discriminated against. The Parity Act recognizes mental health an important aspect to an individuals overall health.
11 comments:
Mental Health is a serious issue and it is important that it's treated the same as physical conditions. I find it very interesting how differently we treat a sickness that we can see and one that we can't. It seems that visually seeing a physical condition signifies to us that you are not faking anything and you really do need help. How ever, when we can not see it we feel that the person should have the ability to figure it out on their own with out any treatment. Any clinic to treat people such as rehab, especially eating disorder centers are extremely expensive and insurance offers very little support. Most people can not afford to get the help they need. I think this act is necessary and hopefully will be able to help those who need it.
Another issue in some states regarding mental health is that in some states mental health patients have the option to leave mental health facilities, even if they are not fit to function alone in society, and many times will be released from facilities or not granted access to medical help. There are two examples of this in my life that ended tragically. I know of 2 people with mental health issues that were not granted access to mental hospitals or had checked themselves out and in BOTH cases they murdered their mothers. This is not to say every mental health patient not being medically treated is going to become a murderer, but I have personal connections to both these events and I know for a fact in one case the patient checked himself out against medical advisement. And the second case the person was denied access to a state mental health facility and he stopped taking his medication. I think that both these people felt discrimination to some extent and two other lives not to mention the family members were tragically effected as well.
2 questions: 1) What exactly is included under mental illness? 2) Why does the U.S. have such high figures compared to the rest of the world? That to me indicates some other factor - physical/environmental that is setting off these high numbers.
Yes, mental illnesses can affect anyone. People of all ages, races, classes, or religions can suffer from a mental illness. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability among people aged 15-44 in the U.S.Luckily, mental illnesses are treatable, and the treatments—both medications and various types of “talk therapy” and other psychosocial interventions—are considered highly effective.
A very important topic to cover when addressing health and wellness. It's shocking to me to see the frequently intense bias people have against others suffering from some form of mental illness.
Ridiculous too; your brain and central nervous system are, at minimum, just as sensitive to improper internal changes as is your stomach, liver or any other organ. I feel that such discrimination arises because the symptoms manifest themselves within behavior rather than as a tactile deformation; the average person probably fears unpredictable behavior more than a broken finger...
Regardless, improving the quality of treatment for mental health disorders is certainly an excellent use of tax money.
People are people and some of us need more care and aid than others. I am all for it! We have a complex society that can be difficult for some people to live in its a disability that disables them to preform to the standards of the individuals around them. I am all for this act for those who are of need for it.
People with serious mental health issues should not be denied by insurance companies. Mental health issues are still health issues and people still need the same kind of assistance and medication as people who have physical ailments or diseases. It is interesting that the United States has the highest mental illness rate. Does anyone know why this is? Does the United States just recognize more mental illnesses as official illnesses than other areas of the world?
I think one reason why mental illness has not been understood, is because its hard to define. However, I think that the mind is the most important thing when it comes to a persons health. Insurance companies need to recognize this and cater to those in need.
I love that more people are taking notice of Mental Health. For decades before, Mental Health was on the back burner of people's mind and politics. Having affordable care available is very important. Many of our nation's homeless suffer from mental heath problems, and with no medical care they have no chance of getting off the streets. This bill is a step in the right direction.
It seems that the roots of why mental illness is not always treated as it should be is that in the past, and in a religious sense, mental illness was something that was considered your own fault, or you were "possessed", or lazy. It is good to see that mental illness is now being considered in a more non discriminatory way than it has been in the past.
David McKinley
I feel this is a good step in realizing that the body and mind aren't separate and both can become ill. The mind and body are interrelated in so many ways, its hard to see them as separate once gaining even a small understanding of how they work together. I didn't realize mental health wasn't covered in the same way as physical health, but I'm glad there are steps in the right direction to cover both equally.
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