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Document 14 of 103.

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May 18, 2000, Thursday

SECTION: PREPARED TESTIMONY

LENGTH: 556 words

HEADLINE: PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR PETE V. DOMENICI

BEFORE THE SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE

SUBJECT - MENTAL HEALTH PARITY HEARING

BODY:
Good morning and it is a pleasure to be here before the HELP Committee for this very important hearing. I would especially like to thank Chairman Jeffords for holding this Mental Parity Hearing and requesting the GAO Report being unveiled today.

I would like to begin by posing a question: what if thirty years ago our nation had decided to exclude heart disease from health insurance coverage? Think about some of the wonderful things we would not be doing today like angioplasty, bypasses, and valve replacements AND the millions of people helped because insurance covers these procedures.

But today, all too often insurance discriminates against those suffering from a mental illness. The human brain is the organ of the mind and just like the other organs of our body, it is subject to illness. And just as illnesses to our other organs require treatment, so too do illnesses of the brain.Even though we know so much more about mental illness, it can still bring devastating consequences to those it touches; their families, their friends, and their loved ones. Medical science is in an era where we can accurately diagnosis mental illnesses and treat those afflicted so they can be productive.

Let us also look at the efficacy of treatment for individuals suffering from certain mental illnesses. Treatment for bipolar disorders has an 80 percent success rate. Schizophrenia, the most dreaded of mental illnesses, has a 60 percent success rate in the United States today if treated properly. Major depression has a 65 percent success rate.

I would ask then, why with this evidence would we not cover these individuals and treat their illnesses like any other disease? We should not. Moreover, we have before us a report from the GAO that further bolsters this argument.

GAO found the costs associated with the Federal Parity law have been negligible for most health plans. In fact, only 3% of employers reported an increase in costs. Consumers in states without more comprehensive parity laws have only seen minor changes in their mental health benefits. Two thirds of the plans complying with theFederal parity law have lower mental health hospital day and outpatient office visit limits than medical and surgical benefits.

Thus, I would submit the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 is good first start, but it is also not working. While there may be adherence to the letter of the law, there are violations of the spirit of the law.

For instance, ways are being found around the law by placing limits on the number of covered hospital days and outpatient visits.

Consequently, Senator Wellstone and I have again joined forces and introduced the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 1999. The Bill seeks a very simple goal: 1) provide full parity for certain severe biologically based mental illnesses and 2) prohibit limits on the number of covered hospital days and outpatient visits for all mental illnesses.

I think it also worth mentioning that there is a definite trend at the state level to pass mental health parity legislation. Thirty states now have mental health parity laws. In fact, I had the opportunity to attend the signing ceremony of New Mexico' s Mental Health Parity law just a couple of months ago.Thank you and I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue.

END

LOAD-DATE: May 19, 2000

Document 14 of 103.


Search Terms: mental AND health AND parity, House or Senate or Joint
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