http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/insurers-directed-to-treat-mental-health-issues-the-same-as-physical-ailments/2013/11/08/a3ec932c-489b-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351_story.html
2. Category- health
3. Level- national
4. About- The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
of 2008 was incomplete. They just finalized the rules on coverage and like the
name of the act says, people that receive treatment for mental illness and
substance abuse will be covered under their insurance now.
5. Who this affects- The people that suffer from mental illness
and addiction. They are going to receive equal coverage from their insurance
just like someone that has medical or surgical needs. For too long, people that
have to go to a psych hospital or rehab have to pay so much money out of
pocket. Their condition was viewed differently (almost discriminated against)
and not covered.
6. My views- Paying out of pocket for any treatment whether it’s
to get your teeth cleaned, get an MRI, broken bone, etc. is super expensive. Mental
hospitals and drug rehab programs are no exception. It really has been unfair
that these people have had to do so for so long. Mental illness is a serious
and it does not go away without professional treatment. Just like people that
have diabetes type 1 which is an autoimmune disease that is completely out of
their control, mental illness is also out of someone’s control. It is also
genetically inherited which again is out of your control. Addiction is along
those same lines. Obese people that are addicted to food can’t help themselves
and they receive treatment. I think this has been long waited. I wish they had
it five years ago, and then I would have saved $30,000 in bills when I went
through my phase. This is slightly off topic but the film were watching in
class really got me angry at how we don’t have universal health care in
America. It makes me want to move to another country. Not just for that reason
but that’s just another reason to add to the list!
I just want to thank you for posting this and I’m ecstatic about this new law. Not only is it so incredibly helpful for individuals who suffer from mental disorders and addiction, but it is also a show of solidarity for a group of people who continue to be discriminated against every day, and who desperately need to be treated with compassion.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of US citizens truly don’t understand the nature of mental health disorders and I’m really glad you made the comparison between a mental health disorder and an autoimmune disease. I inherited chronic depression from my dad and it really is no different from any other sickness in that I require treatment, including medication and doctor’s visits, and if I was unable to receive treatment I would be equally unable to function in society. Many times in my life I’ve been encouraged to work out, eat healthy foods and even listen to different music to “cure” my depression. I certainly, like any person suffering from an illness, can take steps to decrease my vulnerability to the illness, or prevent its increasing severity – however, without medical treatment, my illness would still render me practically unable to function.
Depression is often associated with external stimuli (such as abuse or severe stress) but depression, and many mental health disorders, can be of a purely physical and chemical nature – a bodily imbalance, just like any sickness. This is not at all to discount the importance of treating mental health disorders onset by trauma, as I feel this is equally important – my intention is to encourage understanding about what is truly occurring with individuals who suffer from mental health disorders like myself. And, from firsthand knowledge, I cannot begin to explain how important I believe therapy is; I feel that everyone should go to therapy at least a few times in their lives. Americans fetishize hard work and being “strong”, but we as Americans must learn to accept people’s vulnerabilities and allow ourselves and others to rest and feel valuable, even if we are not being “productive”.
The article mentioned that this legislation is part of an overall goal of decreasing gun violence, and if people decide to take advantage of more affordable mental healthcare, perhaps consequently dissolving the stigma around mental healthcare, I believe wholeheartedly that violence will decrease in future generations. Violence is a cycle and available, affordable mental health care is a critical part of breaking that cycle.