By now you've heard the Obama Administration and other Democrats' pitch to congress and the nation about the president's health care reform plan and how it will help people afford quality health coverage. But for many people who suffer not just physically but mentally as well, the more important question is: How will Obama's health care plan help those affected by mental illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder, or even attention deficit disorder?
This year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness conducted its “Grading the States” report, analyzing in an attempt to improve each state's mental health care. Minnesota received a grade of C, the same grade we received in 2009, the last time NAMI conducted this report. The good news is, Minnesota fell above the national average of D, behind only six states that received a B including Oklahoma, Massachusetts, New York and Maine. But the bad news is, we still have a long way to go in making mental health care readily available and affordable for Minnesotans. According to the report, Minnesota's biggest concerns are mental health employee shortages, especially in rural areas, a lack of access to treatment for diverse communities, and an urgent need for housing and employment programs.
Clearly, there is a desperate need for improvement in mental health care within the nation's and the state's health care reform plan. The Campaign for Mental Health Reform is a group of 18 national organizations dedicated to giving mental health care a substantial and effective place in the nation's health care system.
In January 2009, the director of the campaign, William Emmet, addressed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and expressed the importance of recognizing mental health as one of the most influential factors of physical health.
“As Mr. Emmet knows very well, mental health is too often the neglected step-child in our health reform agenda,” Iowa Senator Tom Harkin said in a press release. “It should be obvious that mental health is integral to physical health. In so many cases, you can’t have the latter without the former, and legislation drafted by this committee needs to reflect that reality.”
Stated broadly, the campaign's initiative emphasizes that promoting mental health is integral to upholding overall physical health and focuses on preventative measures and availability of quality services.
So how does the new health care plan include mental health? Stay tuned...
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