Subject:
i have some major concerns with the following 6 points in the new Health Care Reform Act
To:
Rep. Howard Berman
November 3, 2009
Please please please read about my concerns, these are being snuck into this bill right under your nose! We can't allow this in America!
Intrusive Home Visitation Programs
The bill creates a home visitation program for families with young children or which are expecting children or who have certain "risk factors." The program provides assessments regarding matters of "age appropriate behaviors," for children, prevention of family violence and referral to outside services. Put that in the context of today's "wrap around" services where Child Protective Services is part of your child's treatment team and you can see the dangers. (Section 1904, Page 1177)
The Mothers Act
You are probably familiar with the Mothers Act. It expands treatment for postpartum conditions. It also calls for the development of "improved screening and diagnostic techniques" while failing to ensure those charged with the development of these techniques are free from conflicts of interest. We've all heard of Andrea Yates, the mother who after taking a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, drowned her kids. The last thing we want is legislation that creates a whole new generation of such tragedies. (Section 2529, Page 1418)
Mental Health Parity
This makes your insurance pay for psychiatric disorders on a par with physical illnesses. Imagine having the same coverage for inpatient psych hospitalization as you do for cancer. Psychiatric patients are traditionally "cured" when the insurance money runs out. Under this bill, it would never run out. The bill could potentially cover all 374 disorders in psychiatry's billing bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. It could cover everything from hyper-religiosity to arithmetic disorder. (Section 214, Page 100)
School Based Health Clinics
The bill includes funding for School Based Health Clinics that will include subjective psychiatric mental health screening (called mental health assessments) of children, and "referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care, and outpatient programs" as part of their "comprehensive primary health services." This is a direct feeder line from our schools to the psycho/pharmaceutical industry. (Section 2511, Page 1352)
Wellness Program Grants for small employers
The grants in the bill serve as an incentive for employers to include "mental health" as part of the Wellness Program Grants to businesses. Part of the program entails a "Behavioral Change Component" that encourages "healthy living through counseling" and may include programs relating to "tobacco use, obesity, stress management, depression and mental health." (Section 112, Page 67)
Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers
The bill creates new "Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers" and in order for existing community mental health centers to qualify, they have to provide, among other things, "mental health screening, assessment, and diagnosis," as well as "outpatient clinic mental health services, including screening, assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy and medication," in addition to "crisis mental health services including 24-hour mobile crisis teams." (Section 2513, Page 1367)
los Angeles , CA
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