Advocates say new law on mental health parity is a good beginning
Posted: Tuesday, June 07, 2005
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) -- A new state law requiring insurance companies to include coverage for certain mental illnesses is a good start, but it could go further, advocates say.
Under the law, which was signed by Gov. Tom Vilsack last month, businesses with 50 or more employees that provide health insurance for workers must also cover treatment of biologically based mental illnesses. Those include schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, schizo-affective disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, pervasive development and autistic disorders. Not included are eating disorders, substance abuse and attention deficit disorders.
Iowa joins 46 other states that have adopted some type of mental health parity law.
Joy Drennen, of Mason City, who has chronic manic depression, said the law is very important.
"Not only will it give relief to people with a mental illness for the services they need, it will also give relief to some government-funded medical programs," she said.
Ken Zimmerman, executive director of the Mental Health Center of North Iowa, said he hopes the new law will serve as a point of discussion about who should fund mental health coverage.
"This legislation says a greater portion falls to insurance under private coverage," he said.
Increased private insurance coverage will make mental health care accessible to more people, Zimmerman said.
Jim Collison, of Mason City, is the president of Employers of America, a national association for employers that has its headquarters in Mason City. He said employees who suffer from untreated mental health issues are less productive and more likely to have a higher rate of absenteeism.
"Any employer who doesn't understand this hasn't caught up with the 21st century," he said.
Businesses have warned that a sweeping mental health measure would drive up the costs of health insurance to the point that many businesses would simply stop offering coverage.
Wally Smeby, president of Metalcraft in Mason City, said he favors "reasonable parity" for mental health illnesses.
"At the same time, we also need to come to grips with the root cause of the illness," Smeby said.
Metalcraft has 75 employees and provides health insurance for them, Smeby said. He doesn't anticipate that providing comparable coverage for treatment of mental illness will create a problem.
Under the law, which was signed by Gov. Tom Vilsack last month, businesses with 50 or more employees that provide health insurance for workers must also cover treatment of biologically based mental illnesses. Those include schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, schizo-affective disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, pervasive development and autistic disorders. Not included are eating disorders, substance abuse and attention deficit disorders.
Iowa joins 46 other states that have adopted some type of mental health parity law.
Joy Drennen, of Mason City, who has chronic manic depression, said the law is very important.
"Not only will it give relief to people with a mental illness for the services they need, it will also give relief to some government-funded medical programs," she said.
Ken Zimmerman, executive director of the Mental Health Center of North Iowa, said he hopes the new law will serve as a point of discussion about who should fund mental health coverage.
"This legislation says a greater portion falls to insurance under private coverage," he said.
Increased private insurance coverage will make mental health care accessible to more people, Zimmerman said.
Jim Collison, of Mason City, is the president of Employers of America, a national association for employers that has its headquarters in Mason City. He said employees who suffer from untreated mental health issues are less productive and more likely to have a higher rate of absenteeism.
"Any employer who doesn't understand this hasn't caught up with the 21st century," he said.
Businesses have warned that a sweeping mental health measure would drive up the costs of health insurance to the point that many businesses would simply stop offering coverage.
Wally Smeby, president of Metalcraft in Mason City, said he favors "reasonable parity" for mental health illnesses.
"At the same time, we also need to come to grips with the root cause of the illness," Smeby said.
Metalcraft has 75 employees and provides health insurance for them, Smeby said. He doesn't anticipate that providing comparable coverage for treatment of mental illness will create a problem.
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