Urge House Passage of the Family Opportunity Act

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(May 7, 2004)—Success! Families of children with mental disabilities scored a major victory yesterday when the Senate, led by Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA), Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and 65 other co-sponsors, finally passed the Family Opportunity Act (S. 622). The Family Opportunity Act, which was first introduced more than three years ago, would allow families earning up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level ($47,125 for a family of four) to obtain Medicaid coverage for their children with serious disabilities.

To build on this important win to help families access critical mental health services for their children, advocates need to press for similar action in the House.

Last year, the General Accounting Office (GAO) identified gaps in insurance coverage as one of the key factors in parents’ decisions to relinquish custody of their children with mental or emotional disorders to obtain Medicaid-funded mental health services. In just 18 states, the GAO identified more than 12,700 incidents of custody relinquishment for services in one year. If enacted, the Family Opportunity Act would ease the burden of families who lack insurance or have limited insurance coverage and now struggle to pay for mental health services their children desperately need.

The Family Opportunity Act would also provide a needed fix to Medicaid's home- and community-based waiver. It would allow children with serious emotional disturbance who are at risk of being placed in a residential treatment center or who currently receive services in such a center to access services under the waiver. (Only children in or at risk of placement in a hospital are now eligible for services under the waiver.)

Take Action Now

Senate passage of the bill is a significant victory, and now the battle moves to the House. We need your help so families can access critical services for their children with mental or emotional disorders, especially if you are a constituent of Representatives Pete Sessions (R-TX), Tom Delay (R-TX) or Dennis Hastert (R-IL).

• Urge House Passage of the Family Opportunity Act
• Thank the Senate

Urge House Passage of the Family Opportunity Act!

If You’re a Texan…

1. Call or e-mail Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), the FOA’s House sponsor, and tell him how excited and happy you are that the FOA passed the Senate. Urge him to act immediately to bring the House version of the bill (H.R. 1811) to the floor. Rep. Sessions can be contacted using the information below:

• Online: PeteS@mail.house.gov
• Phone (Washington Office): 202-225-2231
• Phone (Dallas Office): 972-392-0505

2. Call or e-mail House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX) and tell him that you are pleased with Senate passage of the FOA and want to know how and when he is going to help Rep. Sessions get the bill a vote on the House floor.

• Online: http://www.majorityleader.gov/CONTACT.ASP?a=form
• Phone (Washington Office): 202-225-5951
• Phone (Stafford District Office): 281-240-3700

If You’re from Illinois…

Call or e-mail Speaker Hastert and tell him how pleased you are that the FOA passed the Senate yesterday and that you want to know when he is going to get Rep. Session's bill to the House floor for a vote.

• Online: http://www.house.gov/hastert/write1.shtml
• Phone (Washington Office): 202-225-2976
• Phone (Batavia District Office): 630-406-1114

Thank the Senate

Tell Senators who are FOA co-sponsors that you appreciate their efforts to help families access needed children’s mental health services.

The leadership of Senators Grassley and Kennedy was especially important to securing Senate passage. Please let them know that their efforts are appreciated.

Senator Charles Grassley

• Online: http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm
• Phone (Washington Office): 202-224-3744
• Phone (Des Moines District Office): 515-284-4890
• Postal Mail
  The Honorable Charles Grassley
  135 Hart Senate Office Building
  Washington, D.C. 20510-1501

Senator Edward Kennedy

• Online: http://kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html
• Phone (Washington Office): 202-224-4543
• Phone (Boston District Office): 617-565-3183
• Postal Mail
  The Honorable Edward Kennedy
  317 Russell Senate Office Building
  Washington, D.C. 20510-2101