It is "unconscionable" that U.S. residents with mental illnesses "face unequal and unfair insurance barriers that can be catastrophic" to their health, financial security and lives, former first ladies Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter write in a Washington Times opinion piece. "[W]e know after decades of brain research" that mental illness and addiction "are diseases and that effective treatments exist," Ford and Carter write, adding, "Patients affected by these disorders should be treated with the same urgency and diligence as patients with any other disease and should receive the same health care options and coverage."

According to Ford and Carter, the U.S. "can afford to end this discrimination," and the "costs to our society for untreated mental illnesses and addiction must compel us to work toward fixing our broken system." Ford and Carter note that untreated mental illness and addiction cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $600 billion annually "through indirect" and "diverted costs."

Ford and Carter urge Congress to approve mental health parity legislation (HR 1424 and S 558), which would ensure "that mental health and addiction patients are treated no differently than other medical or surgical patients." The law would not "force companies to offer mental health or addiction treatment benefits, but if such benefits are covered, they must be offered in the same manner as other medical and surgical coverage in the plan," Ford and Carter write (Ford/Carter, Washington Times, 7/18).

Broadcast Coverage
American Public Media's "Marketplace Morning Report" on Wednesday reported on the legislation. The segment includes comment from Neil Trautwein of the National Retail Federation (Palmer, "Marketplace Morning Report," American Public Media, 7/18). Audio and a transcript of the segment are available online.