GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ACTION ALERT

November 19, 2001

Urgent Contacts Needed ASAP for Certain Key U. S. Representatives In Support of Mental Health Parity!

 

THE ISSUE AT HAND

The meeting of the House and Senate Appropriations conference where the fate of mental health parity will be determined is being delayed until December 3. Parity advocates must step up BOTH grassroots and DC-based pressure to counter the volley of anti-parity mail and faxes being sent by employers and insurers. House Republicans continue to show the most resistance to accepting S. 543, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, sponsored by Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN). In fact, some Members are claiming that they are not hearing from pro-parity constituents-- so you need to let them know ASAP that you support parity.

BACKGROUND

On November 6th, the Senate passed H.R. 3061, the FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, by a vote of 89 to 10. And since the House of Representatives had already passed their version of H.R. 3061, on October 11th by a vote of 373 to 43, the measure proceeded to a conference committee to iron out the differences.

One of the major points of discussion involves mental health parity. Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) successfully offered a mental health parity amendment during the Senate consideration of H.R. 3061. The Domenici-Wellstone Amendment, as passed by voice vote on October 30th, contains the entire text of S. 543, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2001, which is a substantial expansion of mental health parity, far beyond that mandated by the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act.

Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee members will be among the conferees, but other House members will also play important behind-the-scenes roles in deliberations on mental health parity. Three different authorization committees of the House are being consulted as to their views on parity because they have jurisdiction over elements of parity legislation: the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Ways and Means.

ACTION NEEDED

By COB on Friday, November 30th, constituents of targeted House members listed below should call 1-866-PARITY4 (1-866-727-4894). This toll-free number, established by the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage, will connect you to the U.S. Capitol Switchboard, where you can ask for a Representative's office by name. If you are not sure who your Representative is, the Capitol Switchboard can determine which one by zip code. Once you've been connected to an office, be sure to ask to speak with the "Mental Health Legislative Assistant" and deliver one of following messages.

Targeted Representatives and Messages

If your Member of Congress appears on either List A (Members of the House Appropriations Committee) or B (Members of the House Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees) use this message:

Message: "I’m calling to urge the Representative to work with Labor-HHS Appropriations conferees to accept the Senate’s mental health parity amendment. This legislation will help families by banning arbitrary limits on needed mental health services."

If your Representative does not appear on either List A or B, use this message:

Message: "I’m calling to urge the Representative to cosign the mental health parity letter to conferees being circulated by Rep. Roukema ("ROCK-uh-muh"). This legislation will help families by banning arbitrary limits on needed mental health services." If you’re told he/she already signed it, be sure to thank the Member or staffer for their support.

The House full parity bill, H.R. 162, the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Amendments act of 2001, sponsored by Representative Marge Roukema (R-NJ), currently has 191 cosponsors, 24 of whom are Republican. These cosponsors are our best prospects to cosign the letter to conferees being circulated by Reps. Marge Roukema (R-NJ), Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)-- which is mentioned in the message above.

Targets for Messages A and B, With Cosponsors of H.R. 162 Marked