Here is some good news from the Biden-Harris administration. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 22.8% of US adults, or 57.8 million people, had a mental illness in 2021. The number is even higher After excluding children without current health insurance and those younger than 6 years, it is estimated that 16.5 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 17 — about 7.7 million — have at least one treatable mental health disorder (i.e., depression, anxiety or ADHD. Simply put, a significant percentage of the people of the United States have mental health issues. As this article describes, Biden-Harris is doing something meaningful to help foster wellbeing with those issues. It also tells you that the MAGAt Republicans will do everything they can, added by the corrupt MAGAts on the Supreme Court to block this good work.
The Biden administration move is likely to impact millions of Americans and comes as the nation faces a worsening mental health crisis. Credit: Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty
The Biden administration is finalizing a sweeping expansion of regulations that require insurers to cover mental health and addiction care on the same terms as other care.
Administration officials said insurers have flouted a 2008 law requiring so-called mental health parity — and are expanding the rules, with potential fines for violators. However, the administration’s decision is expected to draw legal challenges from the industry.
“This final rule will stop the industry evasion that has led millions of people to pay for care even when they have insurance,” said Neera Tanden, head of President Joe Biden’s Domestic Policy Council, on a call with reporters ahead of Monday’s announcement. “No one should have to drain their savings or go into debt to get help for themselves or their loved ones. President Biden and the vice president believe mental health is health.”
The move is likely to impact millions of Americans and comes as the nation […]
Albus Eddie
on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 11:24 am
This has been an issue for many years. As the article indicates: Insurers have been flouting the since its passage in 2008. That’s 16 years ago. It points to a major problem in the system – if a law is not enforced or cannot be enforced why should anyone comply? As the article also states, it is expected that this effort to actually enforce the will of Congress will be challenged in Court. So be it. It will give the public clarity regarding the courts willingness to allow Congress to legislate. When you see polls indicating the public’s lack of faith in governmental institutions think of this example among many others. I have not read the text of the law but I strongly suspect that Congress put few teeth in it. This pattern of passing meaningless legislation by Congress with no teeth is one I expect to see in the foreseeable future. Change the structure and you will change the outcomes. Think outside the box.
This has been an issue for many years. As the article indicates: Insurers have been flouting the since its passage in 2008. That’s 16 years ago. It points to a major problem in the system – if a law is not enforced or cannot be enforced why should anyone comply? As the article also states, it is expected that this effort to actually enforce the will of Congress will be challenged in Court. So be it. It will give the public clarity regarding the courts willingness to allow Congress to legislate. When you see polls indicating the public’s lack of faith in governmental institutions think of this example among many others. I have not read the text of the law but I strongly suspect that Congress put few teeth in it. This pattern of passing meaningless legislation by Congress with no teeth is one I expect to see in the foreseeable future. Change the structure and you will change the outcomes. Think outside the box.