Mental Health Services
Good health care means treating the whole person, both body and mind. That is why Democrats are committed to improving access to mental health services as well as biomedical research. While Democrats are raising awareness about mental health issues, and fighting for parity in treatment, Republicans have often resisted efforts to expand health coverage to fully cover mental illnesses.
Americans deserve better in their health care, and Democrats are fighting to deliver it.
Fighting to ensure full mental health parity for insurance coverage. To help eliminate discrimination against individuals with mental illnesses, Democrats led a bipartisan coalition to prohibit health plans from establishing separate annual coverage limits for mental health and other illnesses. Now, Democrats are working to finish the job by eliminating arbitrary differences in out of pocket costs and benefits for mental illness. Under the Democratic proposal, increased costs or benefit limits may not be imposed unless the same restrictions exist for medical and surgical benefits - removing all unfair differences in co-pays, deductibles, inpatient days, and outpatient visits.
Fighting for new investments in mental health prevention and treatment. Between 1993 and 2000 funding for mental health services increased by 65 percent. Democrats continue to fight for new investments for mental health services, including significant increases in the Mental Health Block Grant, which supports state services for people with severe mental illnesses. Democrats also support new Targeted Capacity Expansion grants to assist those with mental illnesses that the Mental Health Block Grant is not authorized to serve. But a Republican Congress actually reduced funds for mental health activities last year.
Ensuring that veterans with mental illness get the treatment they need. In 2000, over 192,000 veterans were treated for a severe mental illness, but only 20 percent received treatment in an inpatient setting. This is a critical need for veterans , who often face special challenges when trying to remain compliant with their outpatient regimen of appointments and medications, leading to relapses and even homelessness. Unfortunately, Republicans have refused to fully fund the VA health care system. Democrats are fighting to make sure that the VA has the resources it needs to provide the care veterans with mental illness need.
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