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Mental Health
Parity Talking Points
I. Introduce
self as a constituent and psychiatrist.
II. Define Parity:
"insurance coverage subject to the same rates, terms and conditions
as those for other illnesses."
III. Define
the problem:
A. 98% of
payors discriminate through differential coverage of in-patient
days per year, office visits per year, lifetime dollar limits,
co-pays or deductibles.
B. In Iowa,
108,000 adults and 85,000 children have serious mental illness.
200,000 are believed to be substance dependent.
IV. Mental illness
and addictive disorders are serious health care problems:
A. Research
clearly shows that these are physical disorders (brain diseases).
B. 25% of
Americans experience them annually.
C. Contrast
to 20% for hypertension, 12% for MI, 11% breast cancer, 5% asthma
or diabetes.
D. Economic
costs are high:
1. $300
billion annually
a. $70
billion in direct health care costs
b.
$150 billion lost productivity
c.
$80 billion other (motor vehicle accidents, crime, etc.)
2. Contrast
to heart attack ($50 billion), cancer ($110), lung disease ($100),
AIDS ($70).
E. Mental
Illness/Addictive disorders influence or cause other health problems:
1. Increase
risk of heart attack or sudden death
2. Lengthen
hospital stays for other conditions
3. Decrease
ability for self-care, leading to home nursing or nursing home
costs
4. Decrease
cooperation with other treatment
In 1995,
suicide was the 9th leading cause of death over-all, and the
third leading cause of death for those 10 to 34 years.
Mental illness
also causes pain and suffering we cannot measure.
V. Effective
treatments now exist
A. Treatment
response rates for various disorders range from 65 to 80%
B. Contrast
with 50% for angioplasty
VI. Treatments
are cost effective: Several well regarded studies show savings from
$3 to $7 for every dollar spent on treatment.
VII. Costs of
parity are minimal: States that have implemented broad parity laws
have experienced cost increases from 0 to 2% for their managed care
policies (e.g. Vermont, which had no pre-existing parity laws and
which is demographically very similar to Iowa).
VIII. Lack of
parity increases state and local tax burden by cost shifting to
the public sector.
IX. Parity laws are being implemented in many other states (currently
more than thirty), and the number is growing.
X. Please support
the broad based Parity bills (cite bill number and sponsor).
XI. Thank them
for their time.
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