In 1999 New Jersey passed what is now referred to as a
biologically based mental health parity law. This law provided
coverage for the very most serious and costly mental illnesses
but in doing so the law failed to provide coverage for a
number of equally valid disorders due to concerns over the
cost for providing fuller coverage. Left out were the majority
of illnesses that affect children, treatment for post traumatic
stress disorder and the treatment of those with a dual substance
abuse/mental illness diagnoses. Legislation has been introduced
in the New Jersey Legislature that would correct the inequities
to the 1999 law and provide full parity for the treatment
of all mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
There is simply no scientific or medical justification
for insurance coverage of mental illness treatment to be
on different terms and conditions than other diseases. Untreated
mental illness costs New Jersey businesses, government and
families millions of dollars annually in lost productivity
and unemployment, broken lives and broken families, emergency
room visits, homelessness and unnecessary use of jails and
prisons.
It is time to act NOW, before the legislature adjourns
for the summer.
ACTION NEEDED:
NAMI Advocates are urged to write the Assembly leadership
listed below by June 7 and urge them to schedule A2512 for
a hearing. See the following sample letter.
Dear Assemblyperson______________,
I am writing to strongly urge you to hold a hearing on
mental illness insurance parity legislation A2512 in the
Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee as soon as
possible. The evidence is now overwhelming that treatment
for mental illness and substance abuse is effective, affordable
and in the end saves money for employers by reducing lost
productivity.
It is now time to take action on this long overdue legislation.
People living with mental illness have waited too long for
New Jersey to end insurance discrimination once and for
all.
Thank you for your attention to this vital matter and for
your continuing support for persons with a mental illness
and their families.
Sincerely,
CONTACT THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATORS:
Assemblyman Joseph J. Roberts
Brooklawn Shopping Plaza, Rt. 130 South & Browning Rd.,
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
(856)-742-7600, AsmRoberts@njleg.org
Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608
(609)-292-0500, aswwatsoncoleman@njleg.org
Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo
371 Bloomfield Ave., 2nd Floor, Newark, NJ 07107
(973)-350-0048, AsmCaraballo@njleg.org
Assemblyman Herb Conaway
Delran Professional Center, Suite 125, 8008 Route 130 North,
Delran, NJ 08075
(856)-461-3997, AsmConaway@njleg.org
