NEWS
The mental health parity act has been passed
in both the Senate and the House. The bill requires equivalence,
or parity, in coverage of mental and physical ailments.
What it means is that health care companies
would need to give equal treatment to mental illness, equal
dollars and benefits, as they would for physical ailments. Many
consider substance or alcohol abuse to be health conditions
which should be included. This is supported by the American
Psychiatric Association and consumer groups, and it would affect
35 million Americans who experience disabling symptoms of mental
disorders each year.
The House bill protections apply to people
who need treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental
illness.
“Illness of the brain must be treated
just like illness anywhere else in the body,” said Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House Speaker. The bill is titled the "Wellstone
Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act ."1
“In my book I talk about the fact that
my employers did nothing to help me when I was battling a mental
ilness, anxiety, with alcohol,” says Karen Gregg Price.
“In fact, I was made fun of at work and corporate
America discriminated against me and used excuses to get rid
of me rather than help me get medical treatment,”
says Price. “I wish someone at the time would have helped
me and told me how to utilize our healthcare plan for substance
abuse and mental care. The fact is, most companies and healthcare
plans don't want to deal with mental illness or substance abuse.
They would rather find excuses such as job abandonment when
you finally crumble or ask for a few days off.”
"The ultimate answer for me was medical
treatment and spiritual growth," says Price. "I struggled
for years though, nearly dying and almost with no where to go.
Now I'm better than ever but I can't make up for the lost time,
and money, from the 3-4 years of sickness."
“I'm impressed with my wife's courage
to go public to help others,” says co-author and husband,
Joseph Price. “It was an incredible journey for me too,
to watch as my wife overcame drinking herself to death. I included
my point of view in the book to help families cope, to share
my despair, and also reveal the
ugliness of alcoholism.”
The book is scheduled to be published in April
by Reaching Peak LLC. Founded in 2006, Reaching Peak LLC provides
inspirational resources through The
Reaching Peak Show, www.ReachingSpeakers.com,
and other products and services.
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1 New
York Times article, By ROBERT PEAR
Published: March 6, 2008
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