Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Lakemore police say man killed his wife in standoff
Suspect in Lakemore standoff expected to recover
Police raid Akron gaming parlor
Storm could bring heavy snow tonight, Saturday; Parking bans in effect
Palin says she's been exploited by Couric and Fey
Suspected meth lab busted in Cuyahoga Falls
Browns' Mangini brings experience
Skeptics urging check of home program
Blogs:
Akron Law Café:
College Football is Un-American
The Heldenfiles:
Cheryl Holdridge, R.I.P.
Tribe Matters:
Shapiro puts Indians in position to win
Patrick McManamon:
ESPN clears up a key to tonight's game
Browns Bulletin:
Browns may interview ex-Broncos GM
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini takes command
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Celtics
CavsHQ: A Fan's View:
The Countdown Begins - Cavs v. Celtics
Akron Zips:
Five things you should know about Miami
Varsity Letters:
Ignatius’ Kyle has busy offseason
Kent State Sports:
Volleyball players earn All-Academic honors
Car Chase:
January is auction time
See Jane Style:
Chicago Chic?
All Da King's Men:
Obama's Economic News Conference
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Why Israeli Leaders Terrorize Palestinians
HRLite House:
The Psychology Channel, Interesting Videos, Jobs in I-O, and Happy Birthday Elvis
Akron Gamer:
Games in '09: Resident Evil 5
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Does Ohio have an Andy Warhol Museum?
Sound Check:
Axl Rose speaks on Guns & Rose(s)
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 Extended
A jewel in the $700 billion bailout package
Published on Friday, Oct 10, 2008
An estimated 26 percent of Americans suffer from diagnosable mental illnesses and disorders every year, resulting in enormous stress on families and in workplaces and communities. The assurance of comparable coverage for mental illnesses and disorders comes none too soon. It is telling, all the same, that critical as it is, parity in coverage made it into law only as part of a bill Congress and the White House desperately needed to approve to shore up confidence in the financial system.
The mental-health law, most of which will take effect in a year, requires businesses with more than 50 employees that offer mental health benefits in their insurance plans to make no distinctions in coverage between mental illnesses and addictions (for example, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and alcoholism) and other illnesses such as heart disease or asthma.
The new law bars health plans from setting treatment limits, for example, imposing caps on the number of doctor visits and hospitalizations. It prohibits insurers from charging higher deductibles and co-payments for mental-health and substance abuse treatments than they do for other medical care. Further, they must offer coverage for out-of-network care for the mentally ill if they offer similar out-of-network coverage for other medical ailments.
Treatments for mental disorders and illnesses continue to improve in effectiveness. Disparities in coverage prove harmful to millions of patients when arbitrary caps force them to pay high out-of-pocket costs or abandon treatments that can restore mental stability and a degree of productivity. The new law closes a gap that long has been indefensible.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments