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Information
Section: Miscellaneous
Article: Action Alert --
May 1, 2006
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ACTION ALERT
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- National Call-in
Day opposing S. 1955 this Wednesday, May
3
-
- The full Senate
is expected to consider the Health Insurance
Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act
(S.
1955) as
early as next week. If this bill is enacted, it
would allow insurers to offer health plans that
are exempt from state consumer protection laws,
including mental health parity, psychology
"freedom of choice," mental health benefit
mandates and mandated offering laws. Without
these state requirements insurers would be able
to offer "barebones plans." The only condition
is that they also offer employers an alternative
plan based on the state employee benefits in one
of the five most populous States, which
unfortunately could also be "barebones." As a
result, the benefits in the alternative plan may
still be inadequate.
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- Please call your
Senators to urge them to Vote NO on S. 1955. Our
coalition has organized a national call-in day
on Wednesday, May 3, and we are counting on you
to help ensure that your Senators know about the
threat that this legislation poses to critical
state mental health protections. The coalition
calls the bill the "Lose Your Health Care
Bill."
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- Action:
- Call your
Senators on Wednesday, May 3
And urge them to VOTE NO on S.
1955
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- Option 1: Call
the Senate switchboard at 1-800-828-0498. Ask
for one of your Senator's offices. Urge them
to VOTE NO on S. 1955, the "Health Insurance
Marketplace Modernization and
Affordability
- Act."
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- Option 2: In
the unlikely event that the Senate
switchboard is busy, please call your
Senator's offices directly. You can look up
your Senator's direct number at:
- http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
or by inputting your zip code in the form at
http://www.congress.org
and following the links to info on your
Senators. Your Senators have Washington DC
phone numbers and main district phone
numbers. Because Congress is currently in
session, it would be better to use the
Washington DC numbers.
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- Some
Suggested Talking Points for Your Phone
Call:
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- I am calling to
urge Senator _______ to VOTE NO on S. 1955,
Senator Enzi's controversial insurance
deregulation bill.
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- Briefly describe
your experiences as [a parent trying to get
mental health services for your child(ren), a
spouse of someone with mental health problems,
an adult with mental health problems]. If
you have been unable to get decent mental health
services because of lack of adequate mental
health coverage in insurance, say so, and
describe the impact it has had on you and your
family and point out how the situation will only
get worse if S. 1955 is passed. If you have been
able to get mental health services under your
insurance, talk about how it has helped you (if
it has), and how it would be terrible to take
away that type of help, which is what is likely
to happen if S. 1955 passes.
-
- Talk about any
stigma and discrimination you (or your child or
spouse) have suffered due to how society views
mental health problems.
-
- Tell your Senator
that the Senate should not overturn 30 years of
state mental health laws enacted to ensure that
children and adults with mental health needs get
the help they need.
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- Here is some
information compiled by the APA if you wish to
read more:
-
- Benefit
Protections Lost by State fact sheet by
Families USA
- List
of Organizations opposing S.
1955
(PDF)
- Insurance
Journal article about the 39 (now 41)
Attorneys General Opposing S.
1955
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Information
Section: Miscellaneous
Article: Action Alert --
May 1, 2006
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Page
1 of 1
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Tourette
Syndrome "Plus" © Copyright 1998 - 2006 Leslie
E. Packer, PhD. except as noted.
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This page last updated May 1, 2006.
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