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…ensuring equality and
quality care
Advocacy – working
to inform elected officials about mental health issues – is
a cornerstone of our MHA and Mental Health Americas across
the country. Our advocacy action is based on a belief that
people with mental illness deserve equal health care, decent
places to live and meaningful jobs.
We advocate to preserve resources that make care available
for children who have emotional problems and adults who have
mental illness. We act to protect rights of people with mental
illness in housing, employment and education. We advance
systems change that will help people with mental illness
live, work and participate fully in their communities.
MHA is active at all levels of government, working with
the national
Mental Health America and the Mental
Health Association in California. We monitor budget and
legislative processes. We testify before Congress, the California
Legislature,
our county Board of Supervisors and local city councils.
We visit offices of elected officials and meet with their
staffs. We coordinate letter writing campaigns on mental
health issues.
Pass National Mental Health Parity Legislation
- The push is on to pass strong mental health parity legislation this year. Both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed versions of parity bills, and negotiators have bridged key differences on the requirements for health plans under a mental health parity bill, as our national affiliate reports.
This compromise, announced in late June, is a major step forward. While there will be more deliberations before a final vote, this agreement to reconcile the Senate bill, S.558, and the House bill, H.R. 1424, lays the foundation for achieving an historic victory this year.
According to our national affiliate, the compromise would improve current law by requiring parity on both treatment limitations and financial requirements. It would provide that if a plan offers out-of-network medical or surgical benefits, it must also offer out-of-network mental health and addiction benefits at parity. It would preserve stronger state parity and consumer protection laws.
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