Take Action to Support Mental Health Parity

Co-sponsors Needed for New House Mental Health Parity Bill

Support the Bazelon Center. Your tax-deductible donation helps the Bazelon Center keep you informed on important developments in mental health law and policy. Not a Subscriber? Sign up now to receive action alerts and updates from the Bazelon Center.

June 5, 2002 - Millions of Americans are currently denied the mental health services they need because of discriminatory practices by private health insurance companies.

To reduce this discrimination, Reps. Marge Roukema (R-NJ) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) have introduced a new version of the Domenici-Wellstone "Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act." The bill would require group health plans that provide mental health benefits to do so without arbitrary limits that differ from limits on medical and surgical care.

Your help is needed to enact this legislation and help end health-insurance discrimination against people with mental illnesses. Presently, 223 Members of the House of Representatives are co-sponsoring the legislation (H.R.4066). The bill has broad bipartisan support, but additional co-sponsors are still needed to get H.R. 4066 enacted before Congress recesses this year.

Take Action
Please join the more than 180 national advocacy organizations representing thousands of citizens across the country in supporting mental health parity legislation.

Ask your Representative to Co-sponsor H.R. 4066.

• By Phone: Call the toll-free Parity Hotline: 866-Parity4 (866-727-4894). Or, you can call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
• By Mail: Write a letter to let your member of Congress know how you feel.
  The Honorable (first and last name), United States House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515
• By Email: Email is rarely read. If you must email, it's critical to begin the message with your name, address and zip code to show that the message is from a constituent. You can look up your Senator or Representative and find email forms at http://www.congress.org
• Visit your member of Congress: Join the mental health community in showing your support for mental health parity at a rally on the afternoon of June 6th at the Capitol. For more information, contact the Bazelon Center.Contact the Bazelon Center

Last year, the members of Congress listed below supported the mental health parity amendment that was removed from the "Labor-HHS" appropriations conference. This year, their support will be especially important.

Bachus, Spencer (R-AL)
Barcia, James (D-MI)
Brown, Henry E. Jr. (R-SC)
Condit, Gary (D-CA)
DeFazio, Peter A. (D-OR)
Emerson, Jo Ann (R-MO)
Faleomavaega, Eni F.H. (D-AS)
Forbes, J. Randy (R-VA)
Ganske, Greg (R-IA)
Hill, Baron P. (D-IN)
Kolbe, Jim (R-AZ)
Lipinski, William O. (D-IL)
Mica, John L. (R-FL)
Moore, Dennis (D-KS)
Moran, Jerry (R-KS)
Ortiz, Solomon P. (D-TX)
Phelps, David D. (D-IL)
Quinn, Jack (R-NY)
Sherman, Brad (D-CA)
Shows, Ronnie (D-MS)
Watt, Melvin L. (D-NC)
Weldon, Curt (R-PA)

If you live in one of their Congressional districts, please make a special effort to let them know how important mental health parity is to you!