President Bush has opened a much-needed discussion about improving care for the mentally ill.
His compassionate call for better treatment of mental illness should push the country toward reforms. And his concern will provide some stimulus toward erasing the outdated stigma that still attaches in some minds to seeking mental health care.
It will be difficult to find effective path toward improving health insurance coverage of mental illnesses. But the president took a couple of important steps when he spoke earlier this week in Albuquerque, N.M. He announced appointment of a Freedom Commission on Mental Health to make recommendations aimed at ensuring "Americans do not fall through the cracks." That’s critical, because the people who fall through the cracks are often the ones who present the most danger to themselves and to others.
In addition, the president put himself at least in a limited way on the side of having health insurance give equal coverage to mental and physical illnesses. As Bush said, "Our health insurance system must treat serious mental illness like any other disease." The president stopped short of endorsing legislation to require "parity" in coverage of certain mental illnesses and other physical ailments. His strong statement, however, would seem to suggest that if the bill is drawn carefully enough, he will support it.
Not surprisingly, the president’s position is drawing warm reaction from those involved with treating mental illness. Compass Health President and CEO Jess C. Jamieson, Ph.D., called the president’s statement on parity "a terrific stride forward" and expressed pleasure at the president’s entire initiative on the issue.
As Jamieson noted, the concern about people falling through the cracks hits home for his agency, which treats 12,000 people throughout Snohomish County. "It is certainly our experience here in the state of Washington that it is a very complicated system one that is not at all user-friendly for people who are trying to get themselves or a family member treated," he said.
The complications and cost issues both are significant barriers. With state health care budgets stretched, emergency rooms and jails increasingly end up with many people who simply need mental health care, Jamieson said.
Opponents of health insurance parity raise reasonable concerns about the costs of more mandates. If the president and Congress can come up with a plan that clearly defines parity, however, the experience in some states with such laws (Washington is not among them) suggests that additional costs could be very modest. How to draw the rules could be tricky. Jamieson suggests working from scientific evidence and providing coverage where both a disease can be clearly identified and where treatment results have been proven. Numerous other ideas could arise in discussions.
President Bush deserves credit for opening the door to such dialogue — and for reminding us all of the need to deal with the sufferings caused by mental illness.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
