Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007
A bill to require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both. by Chuck Angier
(libertarian)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
According to the Associated Press, the House on March 5, passed H.R. 1424, the "Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007" by a vote of 268-148. It was sponsored by Reps. Patrick Kennedy D- R.I., a recovering alcoholic and drug abuser and Jim Ramstad, R-Minn. a recovering alcoholic. The narrower Senate bill S. 558, passed earlier, was introduced by Kennedy's father, Senator Edward Kennedy D-MA, Pete Domenici, R-NM and Mike Enzi, R-WY.
The Associated Press article states that the bill will "require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both". It further specifies that "if a health insurance plan provides mental health benefits, it must cover mental illnesses and addiction disorders listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders".
The article goes on to state that the "younger Kennedy will negotiate with his father on a compromise measure". That ought to be interesting!
Health care is already consuming about $7,000 per capita, 20% of our personal income and 16% of our GDP. How much more will this drain from our economy?
What constitutes a "mental illness or addiction"? Who decides?
What constitutes "equal coverage"? Who decides?
Even conservatives wish to force insurance companies to do "this" and employers to do "that". Is it not obvious that health care is uninsurable? The only possible reason the insurance companies are still in health care is because the government has created an environment that makes it profitable.
This bill is certain to further weaken our struggling economy, strengthen our power-hungry servants and fuel the fires that are already consuming our failing and out-of-control health care system.
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What I find interesting about this bill is that it applies only to private insurance companies. Medicare has a much lower lifetime cap on psychiatric illness than on physical ailments. Shouldn't the government lead by example before it imposes new mandates on private insurers?
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