Monday’s Milwaukee Journal -Sentinel published a great editorial penned by Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, one of the key organizers of tomorrow’s Mental Health Parity Day in Madison.

“On Wednesday, hundreds of us who are in the know, who understand how important mental health parity is to our state’s economic outlook, will make the journey to the Capitol from every corner of the state. Our message to the Legislature: We can no longer afford the status quo. We need mental health parity now.

“Parity in insurance coverage for mental illness – providing the same benefits and same limits for mental illness as for other forms of illness – is a smart strategy to increase the size of our work force, increase productivity and retention, reduce absenteeism and dramatically bring down health care costs of a significant number of people. Fully 50% to 70% of visits to primary care physicians are for medical complaints that stem from psychological factors.”

Read the whole article at JSonline, and we’ll see you in Madison tomorrow.