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More Information The Senate bill (S.558) The House bill (H.R. 1424) The Mental Health Liaison Group's Parity page

Urgent Action Alert

Mental Health Parity Is Within Reach

Action Needed to Urge March 5 House Vote for Parity

February 28, 2008--We have been pushing hard since 2001 to enact full mental health parity. Now, thanks to your outreach to legislators and the advocacy of many others across the nation, victory is at last within reach. Following the Senate’s historic passage of the Mental Health Parity Act (S. 558) by unanimous consent in September, the House is poised to take up its bill, H.R. 1424, on Wednesday, March 5. Parity supporters across America should contact their Representative NOW to urge his or her vote for H.R. 1424. Senate and House leaders should continue to work together to reconcile differences between the versions and produce a bill that can pass in both chambers.

Please Act Now!

Use the toll-free Parity Hotline, 1-866-parity4 (1-866-727-4894), to call your U.S. Representative. (The Parity Hotline reaches the Capitol switchboard, which can connect callers to their members of Congress). If you are not sure of your Representative’s name, you can find it by entering your zip code at www. congress.org.

Message: “I am calling to ask that the Representative vote for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health & Addiction Equity Act. Parity is a fair and affordable solution to insurance discrimination. It will save lives and families.”

Background

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 expands the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 by prohibiting group health plans from imposing treatment or financial limitations on mental health benefits that are different from those applied to medical/surgical services. The legislation applies only to group health plans already providing mental health benefits and exempts plans sponsored by small businesses with under 50 employees. For more information, see the Bazelon Center’s December 2007 Parity Alert and the Mental Health Liaison Group’s Parity page

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