Mental Health Parity Action Day is this Wednesday and Rogers will be well represented by our Board, medical leadership, staff and members of the public who are traveling with us.

It is time for Wisconsin to join other states and recognize that the current outdated law in Statute of limiting medically necessary treatment for addiction and mental illness to $7,000 annually must be changed! We all know too many people whose lives have been impacted either directly or indirectly by addiction or mental illness and that experience has shown us that there should be no difference in the coverage people are provided. Addiction and Mental Illness are no different then someone with a chronic illness or disease. Sadly however, it appears that despite all of the research that clearly shows addiction and mental illness are no less important then primary care diagnosis and in fact are intrinsically linked to physical health, it is stigma and fear that are at the heart of this issue.  When I worked for Governor Thompson as the Administrator for the Division of Children and Families, I saw everyday the devastating costs to our communities, employers and governments from untreated mental illness and addiction. Our courts and corrections systems see this reality everyday.

As you know, I am a Republican and have proudly been a member of the GOP my entire adult life. I am standing up for Mental Health Parity because I believe good public policy comes from lifting up our values and ideals as a Party and then working together across policy lines to shape a consensus that best serves the public in the long term. I know that many people state that the current proposed legislation on Parity is but another mandate on employers and therefore they are not even willing to come to the table. While I do not want to place unfair burdens on employers, let’s keep in mind that the current health insurance system we operate under is a series of mandates. Until there is a wholesale change of the current system and laws at the national and state level, mental health coverage should be treated the same as other primary illnesses. Employers who already provide mental health parity are to be commended for realizing that it is good for their employees and therefore their bottom line profits to have a healthy workforce in both mind and body. Rogers Memorial Hosptial, an employer of over 750 people, provides parity to its employees.

My father in law, the late Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus was a true statesman who understood that we cannot serve the people if we polarize issues on party lines and not come together to find common ground for moving forward. That is why, I will be honored this Wednesday to introduce Lt. Gov. Barbra Lawton at the opening session for Mental Health Action Parity Day.

Rogers Memorial Hospital serves people who through medical necessity need treatment for debilitating addictions and mental illnesses. Everyday we work with individuals and families who come up on this outdated legislatively controlled and artificial $7,000 annual cap on their coverage.  While I agree, for most people who need outpatient services and medication management, $7,000 per year might cover them, the people we see at Rogers who need medically necessary inpatient, residential and partial hospitalization end up exhausting their benefits and often take out second mortgages, liquidating college funds and savings or even worse have to limit their treatment before they have been adequately served.

We try to raise dollars through our foundation and provide as much charity care as we can as a non profit. Last year we provided over 1500 charity days of care and $175,000 in patient scholarships. Why should people with addiction or mental illness have to rely on the generosity of others or completely liquidate their limited assets in order to  receive effective treatment? Let me share a couple of short anecdotes from real patients we have served.

One of our patients is a teen girl being treated for an eating disorder. She struggles with rigid thinking patterns and a focus on an unrealistic body image. She was initially admitted to the residential Eating Disorder Center for a few weeks, and then transferred to the Rogers Inpatient Unit for a few weeks due to an excessively low body weight. Upon return to the residential Eating Disorder Center she has made great strides in her treatment and has been able to maintain her weight. Insurance has not covered her residential stay and the family has struggled with financial hardships to help her stay in treatment and get the help she needs.

Another patient is a teen male being treated for severe OCD that would require several months of residential treatment. Prior to his admission, he had not left his home in months and hadn’t attended school in for nearly two years. Due to his limited insurance benefits and family resources the treatment team has focused on areas of basic functioning. Since coming to Rogers he has been able to go out in public and sit in an on site classroom with peers. He has been working on basic functioning skills such as going to school, writing with a pen and paper, changing his clothes, and increasing positive social interaction.

In both of these cases, patients are being asked to accept less then effective treatment. Would this be acceptable to you if you or your child had a primary care diagnosis?Join us in working to bring parity to Wisconsin by coming over to Madison on Wednesday and talking to your legislators directly. If you can’t come, please call your legislators today.

What you can do today:

• Find out who your legislators are.
• Download some talking points.
• Learn more about Mental Health Parity Day.

On Friday, Dec. 7, use the toll free Parity Hotline, 1-866-727-4894, to call your United States Representative and Senators.

The Parity Hotline is now closed, but thanks for all your support!

This session of Congress will end December 21. If parity does not get passed by then, we fear the issue will get lost during the election year.

Call and ask your Senators and Representative to not let another year go by without passing mental health and addiction parity legislation. Ask them to work with leadership to pass parity now.

For more information:

• Fact sheets, information and letters on parity can be found at the Mental Health Liaison Group’s information page.
• Find out who your representatives in Washington are by visiting Sourcewatch.