Fox Business news today alerts mental illness sufferers that there is something in the recent health reform laws that concern them. Expansive coverage for illnesses not formerly covered, or covered adequately, is now available through PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.)This legislation took effect September 23, 2010.
Barbara Mannino, writing for Fox Business, explains how PPACA helps the mentally ill. "Mental health advocates continue to herald the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) as an enormous win for people with mental disorders.
PPACA mandates coverage parity, putting mental health treatment on par with medical care, which means deductibles, copayments, and doctor visits can’t be more restrictive for mental illnesses than medical and surgical coverage.
This means that people who suffer from substance use disorder and illnesses like bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or schizophrenia, are provided the same coverage as those with cancer, diabetes or heart disease.
Also, if a plan provides for out-of-network medical benefits, it must provide the same for mental health benefits, as well.
PPACA also means that the immediate reform changes that went into effect Sept. 23 under the health-care reform, apply to mental health conditions: non-denial of coverage for children with pre-existing conditions under age 19; preventing lifetime limits on coverage, not allowing new plans to set annual coverage limits; and requiring new plans to offer family coverage for dependents up to age 26.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, (NIMH) approximately 58 million Americans suffer from a mental disorder in a given year, with about 1 in 17 (6%) suffering from a serious mental illness.
About 20% of U.S. youth during their lifetime are affected by some type of mental disorder that impairs their daily activity, according to a new NIMH national study based on 10,000 face-to-face surveys of 13 to 18 year-olds.
Another 22.2 million Americans aged 12 or older need treatment for substance abuse or dependence, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ 2008 statistics, the latest year data is available.
Evolution to Parity
“The stigma of mental-health based disorders was at one time enormous, has lessened recently, says Peter Newbould, director of Congressional and political affairs at the American Psychological Association.
“Today there’s a greater understanding that the mind and body are connected. The American people got that before members of Congress did.”
Health-care reform moves beyond the Wellstone-Domenici bill, which was passed in 2008 and became fully effective in July. That legislation was praised as a breakthrough for parity, but only covered Americans in group health plans.
PPACA expands parity to include people with individual health insurance policies, small businesses, and by 2019, will ultimately cover about 32 million uninsured Americans.
Coverage will come through a combination of state-based private insurance exchanges and a Medicaid expansion of the poverty level, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
A little more than half of those 32 million will probably go into state exchanges, where they can purchase coverage with pooled risk and therefore lower premiums, says Andrew Sperling, NAMI’s director of legislative advocacy."
PS: The image is actually the only part of today's message that is mine.The yarn project was done several years ago and, although at the time I have no idea what I had in mind at the time I constructed it, I believe it's unknowns fit in well with the workings of the mind. If only we knew more about what brings on mental illness, wouldn't that be great? In the meantime thanks to those who never give on human values and God-given opportunities to make life better for someone somewhere.
Effie Moore Salem
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