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ask.heather@mail.house.gov
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In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
Home » Word-duh » Wilson Named Conferee for Defe... » Wilson Works to Increase Water... » Wilson Supports Bingaman Domen... » A True American Hero » Fliers Ready, Passports Aren`t » STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE HE... » Medicare Change Helps New Mexi... » Wilson Announces Possible Vet ... » Energy & Commerce Committee Pa... » Baca Ranch Sale is Official » KIRTLAND TAPPED FOR MAJOR NEW ... » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Wilson Calls on Secretary Nort... » Wilson Touts NM Homeland Secur... » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Rep. Wilson Wants to Improve T... » E-Newsletter, Volume 5, Issue ... » Wilson Appointed to House Page... » Placitas Library Gets $350K » Wilson Announces Federal Funds... » Thanking Our Troops » The Great American Jobs Machin... » Wilson Welcomes Next Step in I... » A bracelet and a simple questi... » Wilson Nails the E-mails » How you can help ... » Wilson Announces Federal Fundi... » Wilson Introduces Legislation ... » Wilson Statement on Iraq Suppl... » Wilson Added to Commerce Healt... » Wilson Supports Veterans And H... » Resources for Veterans » Kirtland AFB Hosts Successful ... » Wilson Announces Hearing on ‘S... » Wilson Announces Over $79,000 ... » Wilson Urges Stronger Federal ... » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 6 » Wilson Opposes Union-Only Labo... » E-Newsletter, Volume 5, Issue ... » Wilson: Congress Should Heed G... » Wilson’s Spam Act Passes Overw... » Wilson: Don`t Charge Parents ... » New Mexico Students Can Reach ... » Wilson Votes to Create Jobs an... » Wilson Working to Raise Profil... » Wilson Introduces NM Aquifer A... » Wilson Applauds Deal to Purcha... » Bill to Protect N.M. Land Goes... » E-Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 7 » Jobs, schools, health care fac... » We`re Back! » Wilson: House Passes Comprehen... » Wilson: Albuquerque Companies ... » ‘Scooby’s Bill’ Gets Hearing i... » Recriminations on Capitol Hill... » Wilson Opposes Bush Administra... » Statement on Colin McMillan`s ... » Wilson Works to Raise Profile ... » State of the District » E-Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 58 » A woman`s place is in... » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 28 » Facing Challenges Together » Home Heating Help » Wilson: LANL Has Long Road to ... » Adding Prescription Drugs to M... » Wilson Encourages Cuomo To Rel... » Border Patrol Job Fair » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Wilson Asks DOE to Release Oil... » E-Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 10 » Wilson demands answer from Edu... » Welcome Home » Wilson Statement regarding res... » Wilson Attaches Amendment to P... » Wilson Votes to Override Veto ... » Wilson Opposes Troop Increase » E-Newsletter Vol 4 Issue 9 » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 7 » E-Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 6 » Wilson touts education bill be... » E-Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 8 » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Wilson Supported TB Bill Passe... » Iraq » Wilson, Pearce, U.S. House Wei... » The Electoral College » Wilson Introduces NM Water Pla... » Wilson: Medicaid Is Broken & N... » Tax Day Draws Near: Informatio... » Wilson Encouraged by Job Creat... » Congress poised to approve New... » Changing Trains » Rep. Wilson Working on $200,00... » Wilson Announces Expanded Chir... » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 25 » Video Test » Wilson Hails Funding for Viole... » Wilson Introduces Bill to Give... » Celebrate National Hispanic He... » Albuquerque Man Presented with... » Strengthening mental health ca...
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| Strengthening mental health care... |
March 10, 2008 |
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Dear Friends,
Pete Domenici has been working for twenty years on research and treatment of mental illness and coverage for mental illness by health insurance. We are close to having a mental health parity bill for insurance coverage that will treat biologically based mental illness in the same way we treat diseases of the heart, cancer or broken bones.
We've come a long way in the past twenty years. New medications have brought hope and normal lives to many of those suffering from mental illness and research giving us greater understanding of the brain has helped to dissolve much of the stigma of mental illness.
Last week, the House voted on a bill intended to provide parity for mental health insurance coverage, but it had some serious problems that need to be fixed. So, I offered an alternative that was very similar to the Domenici Mental Health Parity bill.
Senator Domenici's version of mental health parity legislation passed the Senate unanimously and has the support of 245 organizations including businesses, insurers and the mental health community who worked on it for two years. It provides parity with medical and surgical coverage for biologically based mental illness for things like co-payments and limits on numbers of doctor visits.
The House bill, in contrast, requires coverage of all mental health conditions listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) manual if any mental conditions are covered. It's all or nothing - and I think lots of employers will choose nothing.
The DSM IV is a practitioner’s guide to diagnosis of everything from bipolar disorder to sibling rivalry, caffeine addiction and jet lag. Even the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan does not require all diagnoses to be covered by insurance.
My alternative failed by a vote of 196 to 221. Still, that puts lots of House members on record supporting the unanimously passed Senate approach to this problem. Now the legislation goes to conference where I hope our debate in the House will help the more reasonable Senate approach to prevail.
Wish you were here,
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