Mental Health Parity Bill NEEDS OUR VOICES

Good Morning Everybody!!

After dinner last night, i had dessert so i got 2 Kudos last night alone! Eventually i will be completely recovered. All it takes is me eating 3 squares and 2 snacks and dessert after dinner. How Easy is That? :)

As a member of the Eating Disorders Coalition, it is My responsibility to help get the word out about the life ending Diseases as Anorexia and Bulimia and everything inbetween.

So this morning i want to share the letter i received from the EDC to Every Citizen in America.

Anorexia and Bulimia are NOT considered Physical Illnesses.
They are Mental Health ISSUES.

Therein lies the loophole; because Eating Disorders are Mental, the Government has ignored a MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS Ravaging Gen X, Generation Y, and beyond.

Since the Government itself doesn't recognize ED's, why should the INSURANCE Companies?

This creates a Vulture like preying tactic by the "Rehab's".

When i 1st started my journey into recovery on my own, i soon found out that ONLY the Rich are Allowed to be rehabilitated; which meant Certain Life.

Failing to come up with $17,000-$20,ooo for a 28 day stay at their "ranch", "retreat" or whatever they call themselves, meant CERTAIN DEATH for ME.

Oh sure, i had insurance, but most of these places do not take it, and the other half of the equation is the Insurance Companies Did NOT allow for this kind of treatment.

I Praise and Thank God Everyday for bringing me Original Limu to save my Body.

I am Anorexic.

I Need Help to recover - JUST LIKE any Other Disease.

I am NOT ALONE.

This Disease IS GENETIC.

We ARE RUNNING This GREAT COUNTRY INTO the GROUND by NOT Helping those like Me!

We ALL know OF Someone with Anorexia or Bulimia or something inbetween.

WE OWE it to THEM to Speak FOR THEIR RIGHTS.

Religious Rights, Women's Rights, Black Rights, Veteran's Rights, Abortion Rights, Gay & Lesbian Rights, ANIMAL Rights :
All of which brought This Great Country Together to PASS LEGLISLATION to RECOGNIZE THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF IT'S CITIZENS.

NOW IS the TIME to Stand Up For the SILENT SUFFERERS - The CHILDREN OF THIS NATION!

IF NOT US - WHO?

IF NOT NOW - WHEN?

Following is the email and MY Request on behalf of The Eating Disorders Coalition
Barbara A Thornton - Lady Limu
******************************


As you know, the EDC is an active partner with mental health experts and advocates who support federal mental health parity legislation. In 2008 we moved tantalizingly close to success after enormous efforts and negotiations: the Mental Health and Addiction Parity Bill has been worked out in a compromise between both houses of Congress and with bipartisan support. In September when Congress returns from its summer recess – and before the election – is a window of opportunity for the mental health and addiction parity bill. This legislation has the potential of having a huge and immediate impact for individuals and families pursuing eating disorder treatment. LET’S NOT LET THIS BILL DIE or be sidelined by the election and the tumult of a new administration and presidency. The EDC wants you to join us in a national campaign to pass this bill.

We need supporters in all 50 states, in every area, to write letters to editors and editorials in local newspapers. All you need is a personal connection to this issue and a desire to speak out. Willing? Use the sample letter below, and feel free to contact me, Laura Collins, for assistance or information. The EDC would like to follow up on our campaign by collecting copies of the letters that are written so we can measure the impact as well.

Please contact me if you write a letter so that I can keep track of this media effort. In addition, we can learn from this campaign how best to serve the public in future efforts – such as the upcoming project of passing the FREED Act, a comprehensive bill addressing eating disorders treatment, research, education and prevention, an EDC initiative that will dramatically improve the lives of people with eating disorders.

I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,Laura CollinsLaura@eatingwithyouranorexic.com
(540) 349-0311


OP-ED Letter Example:Heartbreaking Inequity, by John Smith

Today, you would not know that bulimia once almost stopped my daughter’s heart. But what breaks her heart now is the guilt of her parents losing all retirement savings and her sister being unable to attend college this fall because of the cost of her treatment. Eating disorders are TREATABLE illnesses with genetic underpinnings. With early intervention and assertive treatment patients can go on to full and healthy lives. The Eating Disorders Coalition, a leader in legislative action on this issue, reminds us that eating disorders are a public health problem, with

People die of eating disorders every day. This high death rate is in part due an inappropriate public and legislative response. My family’s experience made the issue of mental health parity deeply personal. We have felt the impact of unfair coverage. We know now that mental health care is not secondary to other medical issues. I want to ask everyone touched by this issue to support the Mental Health and Addiction Parity bill on the table in Congress this fall. This bill is the culmination of years of dedicated work by those who understand this issue: members of Congress and advocates and employers and health plans have worked toward a bipartisan solution. The federal parity law would end insurance discrimination against mental health and substance use disorder benefits for over 113 million Americans.
The bill would preserve strong state parity and consumer protection laws while extending parity protection to 82 million more people who cannot be protected by state laws.
The cost? Estimates vary, but most agree that healthcare costs would rise less than 1% if mental health benefits were covered comparably with other medical issues. This is not a mandate to make insurers cover everyone or at any level – only that mental illnesses be covered comparably with other medical conditions.
It is important that legislators address this bill now, before a new administration and a new Congress take office, and momentum is lost.
I called my Congressperson X, and our two state Senators, X and X to express my support for the Mental Health and Addiction Parity Bill. It took five minutes, and I am proud to be counted. Please, citizens of X, call your representative and our Senators today. (for contact info: www.house.gov & www.senate.gov) Each call counts, and silence does too.
John Smith123 Main StreetAnytown, ST john@smith.com(000) 333 4444

MORE INFORMATION FOR HOW TO WRITE AND GET YOUR LETTER PUBLISHED FOLLOWS: (please use as needed and contact Laura Collins if you would like assistance).

Template suggestion:

1. Start with a powerful statement:Make it personal, specific, and answer the question: “How did, or how would, insurance coverage for you or your loved one affect the care or the finances of your family?”Examples:“My daughter’s life was saved by the prompt and effective treatment she received for her anorexia nervosa, but one month of treatment cost us her college education.” “If our insurance company paid for our son’s inpatient treatment for bulimia the way it paid for our other son’s asthma treatment they might both be well now. But Bulimia isn’t covered by our plan, and our son’s health is permanently damaged.” “In our county, there are no treatment clinics qualified to treat our daughter’s eating disorder. Going out of state to get life-saving care meant we weren’t covered. And we are not the only ones.” “If our daughter had a tumor, our doctor could act quickly to stop the cancer before it spread. With anorexia, however, we have to wait until she gets so medically compromised that her life is at risk. That’s not fair, and it is not good medicine.” “Today, you would not know that bulimia almost stopped my daughter’s heart. But what breaks her heart now is the guilt of her parents losing all retirement savings and her sister being unable to attend college this fall because of the cost of her treatment.”

2. Personalize the following content:Eating disorders are TREATABLE illness with genetic underpinnings. With early intervention and assertive treatment patients can go on to full and healthy lives. The Eating Disorders Coalition, a leader in legislative action on this issue, reminds us that eating disorders are a public health problem, with significant prevalence rates, disturbing emotional and social consequences, high mortality rates, widespread misunderstanding of eating disorders, and an inappropriate public response. My family’s experience made the issue of mental health parity deeply personal. We have felt the impact of unfair coverage. We know now that mental health care is not secondary to other medical issues. I want to ask everyone touched by this issue to support the Mental Health and Addiction Parity bill on the table in Congress this fall. This bill is the culmination of years of dedicated work by those who understand this issue: members of Congress and advocates and employers and health plans have worked toward a bipartisan solution. The federal parity law would completely end insurance discrimination against mental health and substance use disorder benefits for over 113 million Americans. The bill would preserve strong state parity and consumer protection laws while extending parity protection to 82 million more people who cannot be protected by state laws. The cost? Estimates vary, but most agree that healthcare costs would rise less than 1% if mental health benefits were covered comparably with other medical issues. This is not a mandate to make insurers cover everyone or at any level – only that mental illnesses be covered comparably with other medical conditions. It is important that legislators address this bill now, before a new administration and a new Congress take office, and momentum is lost.I called my Congressperson X, and our two state Senators, X and X to express my support for the Mental Health and Addiction Parity Bill. It took five minutes, and I am proud to be counted. Please, citizens of X, call your representative and our Senators today. (for contact info: www.congress.gov ) Each call counts, and silence does too.

3. End with your contact information:NameAddressDaytime telephoneEmail Tips for contacting newspapersHave you ever wondered how things get into a newspaper?

In brief, here are the types of pieces you may see in a typical newspaper:
• Editorial – Written by the editor or publisher of the paper, usually an opinion on a topic of public interest
• Op-Ed - Usually on the page across from the Editorial (“Opposite Editorial”) is written by readers and opinion leaders on topics of public interest and usually expressing an opinion or argument for change, generally 400-700 words – EDC IS LOOKING FOR OP-ED PIECES IN THIS CAMPAIGN
• Letter to the Editor – Short letters from readers, usually in reaction to reporting or editorials, often less than 200 words – IF YOUR NEWSPAPER ISN’T ABLE TO PUBLISH YOUR OP-ED, YOU CAN SUBMIT A SHORTER VERSION AS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
• News – Straight information on current events, not opinion, usually written by newspaper staff
• Features – Longer pieces focusing on a person or an event, usually written by staff, less formal than news. YOU MAY BE ASKED TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS KIND OF PIECEEach newspaper has its own policy on publishing Op-Ed and Letters to the Editor, usually published on their website. It is best to learn the policy and/or call the newspaper before submitting anything, and to make sure to send your letter to the appropriate person.

Tips:• If a recent story in the newspaper relates to eating disorders or mental health or insurance, make sure to reference it in your letter
• Editors will generally cut from the latter part of the letter for space. Make sure your main points come early
• Stay focused on one message: Mental health parity legislation now in Congress
• Email and/or call the editor to confirm your letter’s arrival. Persistence counts, but so does politeness
• You must give your real name and contact info to be considered for publication. If you want the paper to make your Op-Ed or letter anonymous, you must make a good argument why. Editors will not be familiar with the eating disorder world or the illness – and will not automatically understand the issues of privacy or stigma. If your letter is compelling, however, editors may be willing to publish anonymous letters.
• Study your local paper to see the types of things usually published, and length
• If sending by email, send in the body of the email, not as an attachment
• Avoid clichés and puns
• All newspapers get many more op-ed columns and letters than they run.
• The bigger the circulation of the publication, the more competition for space
• Most publications will call the writer to confirm authenticity
• The op-ed and letters page is one of the most popular parts of the newspaper
• KISS . keep it short and simple. Use short sentences, and stay focused on your core message
• Do not send identical op-ed pieces or letters to the editor to more than one newspaper in your area.
• Let the editor know that your op-ed is “exclusive” to that paper
• Be prepared to shorten and re-submit your article as a letter to the editor in case it is not accepted as an op-ed.
• Don’t overlook TV and radio stations – some accept essays or letters for broadcast
• Check the facts, and say only what you can verify factually from outside sources unless you are telling your experience
• Don’t just complain; offer a specific action
• Read your letter aloud to yourself to check for errors
• Have other people check your letter for spelling, grammar and meaning before sending
• Monitor the paper for your letter.

• Let us help!
Background on Mental Health Parity
• www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/legupdate/FactSheetsMPParity110.pdf