Social Workers We Need Your Help to Re-establish and Expand Mental Health Parity!

S. 543/H.R. 162

BACKGROUND

The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 expired on September 30, 2001; if Congress takes swift action soon, new parity legislation could be enacted before the end of the year.

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Republican and Democratic cosponsors are needed for both S. 543 and H.R. 162 in order to push for passage of mental health parity legislation before December 31, 2001. Both S. 543 and H.R. 162 would re-establish the basic premise of the 1996 Act, which was that parity should exist between mental health benefits and those for medical and surgical care with regards to the level of benefits provided. However, S. 543 and H.R. 162 would go further than the 1996 Act, expanding parity significantly.

It is important to note that the 1996 Act did not require employers to offer mental health care benefits if they choose not to, but if such benefits were provided, they had to have been equal to those for medical and surgical care.

TIMING

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee marked up S. 543 on August 1, 2001 and voted it out of committee unanimously. Given the events of September 11th, NASW is hopeful that the Senate will take up this bill soon given that the 1996 Act expired on September 30th. Although the House has yet to take action on H.R. 162, if the Senate passes S. 543, the House would likely discuss the matter.

ACTION NEEDED

NASW needs its members to contact their Representatives and Senators immediately and ask them to 1. co-sponsor this critical legislation and 2. push for immediate Congressional consideration of this important matter. A draft letter is attached for NASW members to email, fax, or mail to their Members of Congress. Your advocacy on this issue is vital to the re-establishment and expansion of mental health parity.

If you need further information regarding this issue, please contact Francesca Fierro O'Reilly, NASW Government Relations, at fforeilly@naswdc.org. A detailed update on this issue is available on the NASW web site at www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/default.htm.

TAKE ACTION NOW

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