ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. SENATE PASSES MENTAL HEALTH PARITY BILL
2. ANCORA ROUNDTABLE EVENT
3. ESCAPED PATIENT FROM MORRIS PLAINS IS CAPTURED
4. AUDIT CITES OVERPAID MEDICARE INSURERS
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SENATE PASSES MENTAL HEALTH PARITY BILL
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday night that would
require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical
illnesses when policies cover both. The bill, which passed
by unanimous consent, moves advocates one step closer in
their years-long quest for a concept known as mental health
parity.
Passage came on the same day that supporters inundated
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, urging a vote on mental
health parity legislation in the House. Pelosi spokesman
Brendan Daly said that the speaker supports the legislation
and would like it to come to a vote on the floor soon. He
said a mid-October vote was a realistic target.
Read more:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-cong/2007/sep/18/091805677.html
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ANCORA ROUNDTABLE EVENT
The Division of Mental Health Services (DMHS) and Ancora
Psychiatric Hospital (APH) invite consumers, families of
consumers, providers of the community mental health system,
and others who provide mental health services, to attend
a Round Table Event. The purpose of this Round Table Event
is for DMHS and APH to present information and address issues
and concerns related to APH. The date, time and location
of the event is:
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
6:00pm-8:00pm
Ivy Hall Gym at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital
DMHS is requesting that attendees RSVP by phone 1-800-382-6717
or email dmhsmail@dhs.state.nj.us .
Direction to Ancora Psychiatric Hospital:
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmhs/hospdirections2.htm
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ESCAPED PATIENT FROM MORRIS PLAINS IS CAPTURED
An insane killer from Morris Plains who walked away from
a psychiatric hospital in Camden County on Sunday was captured
Tuesday on the hospital grounds, officials said. He will
be transferred to a more secure facility for re-evaluation.
The patient was allowed to walk unescorted around the grounds
of Ancora by order of a Superior Court judge in Morris County,
where he is annually reviewed on his psychiatric progress.
He has refused for years to take psychotropic medications
-- and the courts have declined to force him -- but that
is expected to change immediately.
Read
the Daily Record story
Additional
news account
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AUDIT CITES OVERPAID MEDICARE INSURERS
Private insurance companies participating in Medicare have
been allowed to keep tens of millions of dollars that should
have gone to consumers, and the Bush administration did
not properly audit the companies or try to recover money
paid in error, Congressional investigators say in a new
report. The investigators, from the Government Accountability
Office, said the money could have been used to reduce premiums
or provide additional benefits to older Americans.
Read the NY Times story (free to register):
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/health/policy/10medicare.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
