Why Is Drug Rehab Insurance Coverage Part of Mental Health Bill?

Alcohol or drug abuse affects 25 million Americans; only four million get treatment

The need in this country for increased insurance coverage for alcohol and drug addiction treatment is indisputable. Drug rehab and drug detox have little or no recognition among health insurers, yet drug addiction is a major cause of ruined lives, family violence, emergency room visits, and death. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, alcohol and drug addiction also cost America $77 billion each year in lost productivity. Clearly something needs to be done to make it easier for addicts to get alcohol and drug rehab.

But the question that leaps out when one reads the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, H.R. 1402, is this: is substance abuse and addiction mental illness?

The proposed Wellstone bill, H.R. 1402, would require insurance companies to treat addiction and other mental health disorders on an equal basis with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension.

The Wellstone bill is being sponsored by U.S. Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-Minn). Kennedy has said that we should . . . end the discrimination against those with mental health and substance abuse disorders. And Ramstad said Congress should . . . end the discrimination against people with mental illness and chemical dependency.

Where is this idea coming from that people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are in the same category as alcohol or drug abuse, including those inadvertently got hooked on addictive prescription drugs. Is it possible that they are not mentally ill that they simply need drug detox and drug rehab?

For example, was Justice William H. Rhenquist of the Supreme Court mentally ill because he was hooked on powerful painkillers for a decade before he entered drug rehab? Youd have a tough time convincing college law professors or anyone on the Supreme Court that we should go back and cancel 10 years of brilliant and insightful decisions and opinions the ones that later got Rhenquist appointed Chief Justice because he was mentally ill.

Or what about one of Americas most famous, prolific and successful writers who for decades was either drunk or wired on cocaine, Xanax, Valium, NyQuil, cough medicines, or marijuana? Was Stephen King mentally ill when he wrote several intricately plotted, best-seller blockbuster novels? We never heard anything about mental illness when King went into drug rehab in the 1980s. And hes been sober ever since.

And lets not forget that Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was a habitual cocaine abuser who sang the drugs praises for years to anyone who would listen. After a friend died of an overdose, he abruptly gave it up and quit promoting it not the action one expects from someone who is mentally ill.

The so-called mental health parity bills such as the Wellstone bill have always failed to pass and theres been a lot of attempts over the decades. Aside from the huge lobbying efforts against it by the insurance industry, perhaps people also feel deep down that substance abuse and mental illness are not the same thing at all and do not belong together in a such a bill.

The mental health industry, as its known today, receives billions of tax dollars every year in grants and other forms of support. In comparison, appropriations for alcohol and drug rehab are a drop in the bucket. Yet untreated dependency and addiction are costing us $77billion in lost productivity - more than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined, and far more than mental illness.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 25 million Americans suffer from a substance abuse problem. And less than four million of these victims receive the drug rehab they need.

If we really want to do something about this situation, we need to separate these two issues and get each of them into their own proposed legislation. That way we may have a better chance to get the insurance industry up to speed on helping the millions of Americans who are not mentally ill, and who too often need financial help getting into and through a successfuldrug rehab program.

http://www.drugrehabreferral.com

Rod MacTaggart is a Florida based freelance writer who contributes articles on health.Stay Home Mom Make Money
Legitimate Ways To Make Extra Money
How To Become A Video Game Tester Wikihow
Auction Make Money Online Site Com
Make Money Home Based Business
Business Forumshere
Just Bookz Sometimes I Get So Angry Anger Management For Everyone
Make Money Taking Online Survey
Television Movies For The Week Of Oct 7 Pittsburgh Post
Extra Make Money Side
Altadenaonline Org
Internet Make Money Using
Red Cross Discovers Funds Missing R
Benefits Of Managed Email Marketing
Spider Man 3 Nextag Com
Creative Make Money Ways
Nintari Net Video Games Buy Sell Trade Used Video Games
Gs Outfitters Decides To Close Its Doors Dayton Daily
Video Game Chair Uarlbr
Adsense Easy Make Money Quick
Hypnosis Quit Smoking Weight Loss And Stress Management
Freework From Home Home Make Money Online Onlinedealsspotter
Notes From The World Of Anger Management Three Days Of
make money working online
make money working online
Easily From From Home Make Money Working
Make Money Online Free
X Box Video Game In Xbox Games At Shopping Com
casino game
Work From Home Canada Make Money At Home
Easy Ways To Make Fast Money
Home Work At Home Make Money
Court Ordered And Individual Anger Management Courses And Programs
Poker Game Central Info
Based Business From Home Home Make Money Online Work
Desk Diary In Make Money Stock
Cmhs Programs Toolkit Illness Management And Recovery
Easy Ways To Make Fast Money
Based Business Home Make Money Online Opportunity Work
Expedite Email Marketing
Make Money Need Now
casino guide
Easy Fast Make Money Runescape Way
Ebay In Make Money
By Envelope Make Money Stuffing
Make Money Quick And Easy
Soundtracks Homepage
Anger Help
online casino free bonus
Make Money Online Free
R News Goes Trick Or Treating R
Video Game Development Fvsxfbvpe
Surway
Credit Easy Make Money Online Way
Idea On How To Make Money At Home
Quit Smoking Laser Preparation
Make Money Business Opportunity Work At Home Job
Ut Longhorns Austin
Become A Video Game Designer Video Games Design Jobs
Make Extra Money Online
internet casino
Quit Smoking Help Information And Tips To Help You To Quit
Desk Diary In Make Money Stock
casino bonus
Westchester Laser Therapy
Legit Make Money Online Ways
Careerbuilder Make Money More Start
casino gambling
Make Money From Your Web Site
Game Tester Pricegrabber Com
Buchanan Man Gets Probation In Assault Over With Pickles 22 Wsbt South
Make Money On The Internet For Free
Make Money Trading Penny Stock
Free Anger Management Help
Estate Make Money Off Real
Video Poker Double Down Stud Poker Game Locations
Counterfeit Currency Make Money Really
Video Game Accessory Njodnawv
Affiliate Clickbank Make Money Program
Play Poker Online Free Poker Game From
Any Free Make Money Online Ways Without
Fast Make Money Uk
Make Fast Money Online Free Legally
Email Marketing System
Need To Work From Home And Make Money
Wholesale Other Video Game Accessories
Make Moms Money More Staying
20 Easy Make Money Online
Make Money Fast Computer
Cheap Ways For Kid To Make Money
make money via internet
Gametester Com
free casino slot game
Business Business Home Home Home Home Make Make Money Money Online Online Opportunity Opportunity
Earn Make Money Money Online Online Ways
Free Tip On How To Make Money On Ebay
Welcome To Anger Management Programs
Video Game Store Robbery Leaves Manager Dead
20 Easy Make Money Online
Can Make Money Teen Ways