Friday, September 5, 2008
Eating Disorders Coalition Action Alert
Forwarded on behalf of the Eating Disorders Coalition
As you know the EDC has been on the ground in Washington DC working hard on behalf the all member organizations and the field to make sure access to care is more of a reality by finally passing a mental health parity bill this year. We are sending this out to see if in addition to adding the EDC name to this bill that urges Congress to pass parity in the next 3 weeks before the session is over – you want to add your specific organization’s name. If so we need you to email us at: djaffe@eatingdisorderscoalition.org and let us know by Monday 4 pm (EST). We apologize for the quick turn around required but that is often the way things happen here on the Hill.
Dear Majority Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi and Leader
addiction parity compromise developed by House and Senate negotiators.
We urge Congress to pass this important legislation before adjourning in
September.
Congress has taken a major step forward in developing this thoughtful
and balanced bipartisan legislation. We applaud the long, hard work
engaged in by you and your colleagues in approving and reconciling the
bipartisan House and Senate parity bills (H.R. 1424, S. 558). We urge
Congress to take the last, most important step by passing this
legislation.
Passage of the balanced and bipartisan mental health and addiction
parity legislation would represent the fruition of many years of work by
members of Congress, advocates, employer organizations and health plans
to build on the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996. This broad and
diverse coalition stands united in support of the parity compromise.
Now, Congress has the chance to reach the goal of enacting this
consensus legislation, before a new administration and a new Congress
take office, and broader health policy issues begin demanding
policymakers' time and attention.
We ask Congress to pass federal mental health and addiction parity
legislation now.
Sincerely,
[Cosigners as of Sept.3]
Aetna
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Neurology Professional Association
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association of Children's Residential Centers
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
American Association of Practicing Psychiatrists
American Benefits Council
American Counseling Association
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Group Psychotherapy Association
American Hospital Association
American Jail Association
American Mental Health Counselors Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Psychological Association
American Psychotherapy Association
American Public Health Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
America's Health Insurance Plans
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Aspire of Western New York
Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare
Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
Association for the Advancement of Psychology
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Association to Benefit Children
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Betty Ford Center
Bradford Health Services
Center for Clinical Social Work/ABE
Child Welfare League of America
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Children's Hospital Boston
Clinical Social Work Association
Clinical Social Work Guild 49
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
CT Chapter National Alliance Methadone Advocates
Easter Seals
Eating Disorders Coalition
Epilepsy Foundation
Faces & Voices of Recovery
Families for Depression Awareness
Family Voices
Feeling Blue Suicide Prevention Council
General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church
Hazelden Foundation
Human Rights Campaign
Kids Project
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Light For Life Foundation International
Mental Health America
Missouri Recovery Network
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Association for Children's Behavioral Health
National Association for Rural Mental Health
National Association for the Dually Diagnosed
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
National Association of Counties
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental
Disability Directors
National Association of Health Underwriters
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Coalition of Mental Health Professionals and Consumers
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
National Council on Independent Living
National Disability Rights Network
National Down Syndrome Congress
National Down Syndrome Society
National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
National Mental Health Awareness Campaign
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Research Center for Women & Families
National Respite Coalition
National Retail Federation
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
Northamerican Association of Masters in Psychology
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation
Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America
School Social Work Association of America
Society for Research in Child Development
Society of Professors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Northern Virginia
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
The Center for Policy, Advocacy and Education of the Mental Health
Association of NYC
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Therapeutic Communities of America
Tourette Syndrome Association
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ Mental Illness Network
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Jewish Communities
US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Agreement: When enacted the new federal parity law will-
* Completely end insurance discrimination against mental health
and substance use disorder benefits for over 113 million Americans,
requiring full parity coverage with physical health benefits.
* Extend to all aspects of plan coverage, including day/visit
limits, dollar limits, coinsurance, copayments, deductibles and
out-of-pocket maximums.
* Preserve strong state parity and consumer protection laws while
extending parity protection to 82 million more people who cannot be
protected by state laws.
* Ensure parity coverage for both in-network and out-of-network
Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., Policy Director
Eating Disorders Coalition
www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org
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