January 29, 2004

The Honorable Bill Frist                                    Letter blast faxed to entire Senate
Majority Leader                                                                       
United States Senate
Washington, DC  20510

Dear Majority Leader Frist:

On behalf of the undersigned state medical societies and national medical specialty societies, we wish to express our support for the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act (S. 486), introduced by Senators Pete Domenici and Edward Kennedy and urge you to work with the sponsors of the bill and Senate leadership to bring S. 486 to a vote.

This legislation simply would require group health plans that provide mental health benefits to do so without arbitrary limits different from limits on medical/surgical benefits.  If passed and signed into law, health plans could not impose arbitrary durational limits on treatment or require patients to pay more out-of-pocket for their mental health benefits. Small businesses that employ 50 or fewer persons would be exempted.

The parity legislation is affordable now.  The Congressional Budget Office has projected the average cost of S. 486 to group health plans would only increase to 0.9%.  The legislation would not restrict the ability of health plans to design and manage the care they deliver, nor would it require employers to offer any specific mental health services.

The data on the importance of access to mental health care is abundantly clear.  According to the Surgeon General, untreated mental disorders cost businesses as much as $70 billion each year in lost productivity and increased sick leave.  We know that timely and effective treatment can enable millions of Americans with mental disorders to reclaim their lives, but such treatment requires access to care.  Unfortunately, the GAO reports that nearly 90 percent of the nation's health plans engage in legal discrimination against patients simply by virtue of a diagnosis of mental illness.  It is time for Congress to act.

Since January, 2001, federal employees, retirees and dependents, including Congressional staff covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) have received parity coverage of mental illness treatment as part of their health care benefits at very low additional cost.  S. 486 is modeled on the FEHBP requirements.

Currently, 68 Senate cosponsors and more than 300 national organizations support the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act.   In April, 2002, President Bush called on Congress to enact mental health parity legislation for him to sign into law.  We urge you to help ensure its passage by working with all interested parties to forge an agreement and bring the legislation to a vote.

Sincerely,

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
American Association for Thoracic Surgery
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
American College of Cardiology
American College of Chest Physicians
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
American College of Osteopathic Surgeons
American College of Physicians
American College of Preventive Medicine
American College of Radiology Association
American College of Surgeons
American Gastroenterological Association
American Geriatrics Society
American Medical Association
American Medical Directors Association
American Medical Group Association
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Society for Clinical Pathology
American Society of Addiction Medicine
American Society of Anesthesiologists
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons
Child Neurology Society
International Spinal Injection Society
Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Medical Group Management Association
National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care
National Medical Association
Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons
Society of Medical Consultants to Armed Forces
Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Medical Association of the State of Alabama
Alaska State Medical Association
Arizona Medical Association
Arkansas Medical Society
California Medical Association
Colorado Medical Society
Connecticut State Medical Society
Medical Society of Delaware
Medical Society of the District of Columbia
Florida Medical Association
Medical Association of Georgia
Hawaii Medical Association
Idaho Medical Association
Illinois State Medical Society
Indiana State Medical Association
Iowa Medical Society
Kentucky Medical Association
Louisiana State Medical Society
Maine Medical Association
Massachusetts Medical Society
MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society
Michigan State Medical Society
Minnesota Medical Association
Mississippi State Medical Association
Missouri State Medical Association
Montana Medical Association
Nebraska Medical Association
Nevada State Medical Association
New Hampshire Medical Society
Medical Society of New Jersey
New Mexico Medical Society
Medical Society of the State of New York
North Carolina Medical Society
North Dakota Medical Association
Ohio State Medical Association
Oklahoma State Medical Association
Oregon Medical Association
Pennsylvania Medical Society
Rhode Island Medical Society
South Carolina Medical Association
South Dakota State Medical Association
Tennessee Medical Association
Texas Medical Association
Utah Medical Association
Vermont Medical Society
Medical Society of Virginia
Washington State Medical Association
West Virginia State Medical Association
Wisconsin Medical Society
Wyoming Medical Society

January 29, 2004

The Honorable Dennis Hastert                                       Letter blast faxed to entire House
Speaker
House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

On behalf of the undersigned state medical societies and national medical specialty societies, we wish to express our support for the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act (H.R. 953), introduced by Representative Jim Ramstad and Patrick Kennedy and urge you to work with the sponsors of the bill and House leadership to bring H.R. 953 to a vote.

This legislation simply would require group health plans that provide mental health benefits to do so without arbitrary limits different from limits on medical/surgical benefits.  If passed and signed into law, health plans could not impose arbitrary durational limits on treatment or require patients to pay more out-of-pocket for their mental health benefits. Small businesses that employ 50 or fewer persons would be exempted.

The parity legislation is affordable now.  The Congressional Budget Office has projected the average cost of H.R. 953 to group health plans would only increase to 0.9%.  The legislation would not restrict the ability of health plans to design and manage the care they deliver, nor would it require employers to offer any specific mental health services.

The data on the importance of access to mental health care is abundantly clear.  According to the Surgeon General, untreated mental disorders cost businesses as much as $70 billion each year in lost productivity and increased sick leave.  We know that timely and effective treatment can enable millions of Americans with mental disorders to reclaim their lives, but such treatment requires access to care.  Unfortunately, the GAO reports that nearly 90 percent of the nation's health plans engage in legal discrimination against patients simply by virtue of a diagnosis of mental illness.  It is time for Congress to act.

Since January, 2001, federal employees, retirees and dependents, including Congressional staff covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) have received parity coverage of mental illness treatment as part of their health care benefits at very low additional cost.  H.R. 953 is modeled on the FEHBP requirements.

Currently, 243 House cosponsors and more than 300 national organizations support the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act.   In April, 2002, President Bush called on Congress to enact mental health parity legislation for him to sign into law.  Two House Committee held hearings last year on the parity issue, but the House has yet to take legislative action despite the fact that once again more than half the members of the House have cosponsored this year’s parity bill.  We urge you to help ensure its passage by working with all interested parties to forge an agreement and bring the legislation to a vote.

Sincerely,