Posted by 10derHeart on February 23, 2009, at 16:05:18
In reply to New Law End Mental Illness dicrimination in insure, posted by Neal on February 23, 2009, at 3:26:33
Neal, thanks for bringing this up again. I think in late '08 we had some threads on Social and Meds about it, but this is even a better place.
Wish people still didn't have to wait another year for it to be law.....but I suppose 2009 with something passed in late 2008 would have been a large administrative burden on the companies/employers....Wouldn't it be nice if some of the health plans involved, in preparation, would just loosen up and bring their 2009 benefits in line with what they will be required to provide anyway in 2010....but of course that's me *daydreaming* I suppose...they'll perhaps want to save money while they can, at least most of them....
Here's a summary of the text of the bill (HR 1424) as it was finally passed by the Senate after being rolled into the 2008 Economic Stabilization Act (of which the famous/infamous TARP is a prominent part):
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1424&tab=summary
(search on the word "parity" and you'll go right to that section)
It's an excellent website for tracking bills through Congress.
Someone once said 'good things come to those who wait," but sheesh, people desperately needing the expanded and simply *fair* availability ($$-wise and #s of visits) of this MEDICAL care sure have been waiting a da** long time!! And there will still be those not covered, and some exemptions on certain grounds of cost.....but it's something, at least.....
Maybe the shift in attiude it may represent is more - or at least just as - important as the nuts and bolts of the bill, at least for the future. We can hope and pray.
poster:10derHeart
thread:881840
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20090221/msgs/881959.html