Legislative news

Wisconsin Office of Healthcare Reform Web Site

Through national health insurance reform, coverage will be extended to more than 32 million Americans, and more than 125,000 Wisconsin residents. Millions of people and small businesses right here in Wisconsin could see reduced health care costs and better coverage.
These reforms provide real benefits that will help real people. And Wisconsin has been recognized by the national media as a state that is ideally situated to implement reform.

The reason for this is simple: when national health insurance reform is fully implemented much of the country will look like Wisconsin does today. See Executive Order regarding health care reform.

To access the Health Care Reform Web site Click Here.

Protect the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity ActCongressman Paul Tonko (D N.Y.) has circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter in the House of Representatives, which he will be sending to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury, urging the agencies to reject the health insurance industry's argument that mental illnesses cannot be treated like physical ailments. The letter also calls for preserving the strong interim final rules (IFR) for insurance companies implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) regulations.
NAMI urges you to contact your Representative and ask him or her to protect the MHPAEA and sign on to this letter and preserve the IFR. Advocates can reach their Representative by calling (800) 828-0498.
Click here to read more about parity and view Rep. Tonko's letter.

FEATURED ALERT

House Passes Health Care Reform; Please Contact Your Senators ASAP
House Passes Health Care Reform; Please Contact Your Senators ASAP
March 22, 2010
By a vote of 219-212 the House of Representatives passed health care reform legislation on Sunday, sending it one step closer to going to the President to be sign into law. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) is identical to the legislation the Senate passed on December 24, 2009.


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Do You Know Your State's Impact?The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced $4.3 billion to reduce state payments for federal prescription drug coverage of residents who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Retroactive to October 2008, they will be deducted from what states would otherwise have owed going forward. Click here to check the HHS state table in column D to find the millions of dollars in savings that your state will realize. Use this number to fight state budget cuts in mental health services. Don't let it be sucked into the general fund. Protect and strengthen access to medications and other treatment services in your state's Medicaid program by demanding that it be used to save mental health. For more information, E-mail Angela Kimball, (angelak@nami.org) NAMI's Director of State Policy.

U.S. Senate Urgently Needs to Extend "Medicaid Match" in Economic Recovery Legislation
10-Year Freeze on Mental Health Block Grants Contributes to State Mental Health Crises
Feb. 24, 2010
Washington, D.C. At a special briefing for Congressional staff today, former Connecticut lieutenant governor Kevin Sullivan testified for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on the need for federal action to address the growing mental health crisis in states.

"We are facing a trifecta of budget challenges at the state level that is a direct result of Americas economic distress," said Sullivan, a member of NAMI's national board of directors.

"States are struggling with declining revenues, deep cuts in mental health services for children and adults who live with serious mental illness, and increasing demand for mental health care."

Sullivan called for support of an amendment to pending economic recovery legislation planned by Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) for a six-month extension of a higher "Medicaid match"which the House of Representatives has passed. He also called for an increase in the $420 million mental health block grant program that has been frozen without increases for inflation for the past 10 years.

"The federal government must help," Sullivan said.

"Devastating cuts in state mental health budgets ironically are costing states even more through lost jobs and careers, broken families, more homelessness, higher insurance costs, more welfare and much more expensive costs for hospital emergency rooms, nursing homes, schools, police and courts, jails and prisons."

"Medicaid especially is a lifeline."

"State cuts have come at a time when the need for help is increasing. We've been hit by the worst economic times and highest unemployment in more than 25 years. Unemployed workers report symptoms of severe mental illness four times more than people who still have jobs. Four times as many report thoughts of suicide."

"Returning combat veterans also are experiencing very high rates of serious mental illness, suicide, addiction, homelessness and incarceration related to posttraumatic stress disorder."