| To: sodbuster@chase3000.com Date: Thursday, April 23, 1998 Subject: Letter to the Editor I just read Jennifer Crown's article. It was very well done and deserves recognition. My father in-law died after having a stroke and suffering with it for about four years. He had the swallowing problems, speech inability and other symptoms. The problem that I am most concerned with is the discrimination of insurance companies toward the mentally ill. Mental illness as well as strokes are biological. Senator Jennie Robak of Columbus has introduced two different parity bills in the legislature in the last two years. Both bills were defeated. The last bill was patterned after a bill that was enacted in Vermont. This bill was very comprehensive and dealt with the dual diagnosis problem of self medication and drug abuse,that many times accompany mental illnesses. Many states have already enacted parity laws, the most recent being South Dakota and Missouri. Nebraska is at a disadvantage in that we have a very large insurance lobby acting against this worthwhile measure. Someday we too will have a parity law. In these days of down-sizing the regional centers and decentralization along with the reliance of community based mental health care, we cannot rely on the state to take care of all our needs. The best avenue to achieve that is through private enterprise. Insurance companies are already there to provide health insurance. Mental illnesses are biological problems. To not provide parity is to
discriminate. When the legislature convenes next year, everyone should demand passage of a
mental health parity law. John & Cecilia Holzhey Organizations: |
