National Alliance on Mental Illness
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Act Now! Senate Votes on Medicare This Week!
June 26, 2008
By the end of this week, the Senate is expected to vote on a package of reforms to the Medicare program, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (HR 6331). By an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 355-59, the House passed this legislation on June 24 – thanks to your advocacy contacting House members. It is now critical for the Senate to pass this legislation –with a veto-proof margin of 67 votes – to send it on to the President.
HR 6331 includes a number of critical provisions for Medicare beneficiaries living with serious mental illness. The bill addresses the discriminatory 50% cost sharing requirement for outpatient mental illness treatment, gradually lowering it to 20% as required for all other medical treatment. The improvements also include reforming the Medicare Part D benefit by restoring Part D coverage for benzodiazepines, and ensuring that prescription drug plans must maintain broad access on their formularies to medications to treat serious mental illness – including antipsychotics, antidepressants and anticonvulsants.
ACT NOW!
Call or email Congress today! Urge your Senators to
Click here to send a letter to your Senators
Learn More
View additional background information on HR 6331.
View NAMI’s letter of support for HR 6331.