I think we all need to take action on some pending federal legislation. This bill would require Health Insurance companies to allow the same coverage for Mental Illness as they do for other things.
My Health Insurence does not specify any limit to the number of appointments I have with my Primary Care Physician. For “Mental or Nervous Disorders” they will cover a maximum of 50 Outpatient “visits” a year (this will vary based on the type of policy, but 50 is the max no matter what.) These kimits are “can be waived” if you’re being treated for a “major” disorder like Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Szchophrenia, and so on.
Think about it – that’s not enough to cover weekly visits to a tdoc plus visits to a pdoc for meds. Of course, we probably miss a few visits with our tdocs throughout the year. However, when I was in a critical period, i saw my tdoc twice a week for about 3-4 months – to make sure i stayed safe. Because of these limitations, my health plan only paid for 1 visit a week. So i paid for the other one – my tdoc was a sweetheart, and offered me a reduced rate.
So, passage of this bill is VERY IMPORTANT to all of us.
Go here, read about it and think about it. The link will take you to a special page on the DBSA web site. You don’t have to register on the site to send an email – you can also send a “paper Letter” but you’ll have to print it, pay the postage, and mail it yourself. I did both. Email is immediate, but i like the picture of all that “real” mail flooding his offices.
http://capwiz.com/ndmda/issues/alert/?alertid=10811516
PLEASE do not miss this chance to help!
If you’ve never visited DBSA’s site, look around – there is lots of great stuff there – especially in the publications and brochures.
thanks to all,
c.