Insurance coverage must be preserved and expanded, as demand for mental health and addictions treatment grows.
We must lead the fight to restore eligibility for social security disability for people with addiction disorders.
Whenever relapsing conditions that require ongoing monitoring and management, just like diabetes, asthma, and yes like mental illnesses we must act, Commercial parity must be passed, medicare parity must follow; and if we accept what research is teaching us that addictions are chronic. It’s critical that we preserve the guarantee of Medicaid coverage for low income, disabled Americans. Now let me tell you something. States reallocated their general fund mental health dollars to the Medicaid match. Therefore this leaves large numbers of individuals with treatable mental illnesses in our overburdened emergency rooms and without access to the services that can engage them, treat them, and return them to work. Write
We must introduce and champion a federal funding stream to cover the mental health and addictions treatment costs of the uninsured.
We’re denying our economy productive taxpayers. We’re wasting human lives. Notice, it’s just a beginning, the Community Mental Health Service Improvement Act begins to address our workforce cr. We must be clear and forceful advocates for cost based reimbursement that supports salaries that can attract and retain skilled staff. We must be attractive to leaders that reflect the diversity of our communities. Skilled staff demands adequate compensation. We can’t allow people with serious mental illnesses or addictions to wait for weeks and months for an appointment with a psychiatrist. Also, we abhor by and watch our best and brightest become plastic surgeons and investment bankers. We must stop investing in manuals and planning grants, and start investing in retooling the organizations that deliver services, I’d say if we truly seek for to narrow the gap between science and service.
We must preserve, strengthen and expand the mental health and addictions treatment capacity in this country. It has not been and it won’t be easy. Whenever confusing a strategy to improve the quality of care with one that saves money, a healthcare system that’s promoting medical homes as the newest cost saving strategy. Certainly, a healthcare system that talks universal coverage but hates taxes. You should take it into account. We are part of a healthcare system that reflects the American belief in the marketplace. Whenever counting on disease management and prevention for savings, despite so far they show little evidence of delivering savings, a healthcare system that resists cost containment. Remember, we do know something about saving money. Known we will cut 20 to 30 percent off America’s healthcare bill, Therefore in case the entire nation could bring its costs down to match the lower spending regions. While pioneering studies are telling us that for the most part there’re enormous disparities in healthcare expenditures from one our country region to another, without difference in healthcare outcomes.