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Health Reform Effort at a Critical Stage – Your Calls are Needed!

July 29, 2009

As Congress moves toward its month-long summer recess, health care legislation has reached a critical stage.  While neither the House nor the Senate is expected to move forward on a final vote on legislation this week, a strong grassroots push is needed to keep the pro-reform effort on track going into the fall.  A toll-free number is up and running to direct calls to all House and Senate offices.  While advocates can also send e-mails and hand-written notes to members of Congress, phone calls directly to congressional offices are drawing the most attention in this critical stage in the debate.

The House is expected to adjourn for its summer recess on July 31, while the Senate is expected to follow on or about August 7.  Even if votes are not taken in either chamber on the legislation, NAMI will be engaging in a broad grassroots advocacy campaign throughout the month of August – including efforts to reach members of Congress while they are in their states and congressional districts. 

Act Now!

Advocates are strongly encouraged to use the following toll-free numbers that will be up and running through August 7:

To connect to House offices, call 1-800-828-0498.  A second toll-free number – 1-866-308-6259 – will connect callers to a recording that requires them to enter their zip code and then be connected directly to their House member. 

To connect to Senate offices, call 1-866-544-7573.  Again, callers will hear a pre-recorded message and will need to enter your zip code. You will then be asked whether you want your call to go to your state’s junior Senator or your senior Senator. Each state has two U.S. Senators, and the senior Senator from your state has been in the Senate longer than the junior Senator. To send your call to your junior Senator, Press 1. To send your call to your senior Senator, Press 2. After making your selection, your call will be redirected to the appropriate office.

What is NAMI’s Message?

NAMI’s basic message to Congress is: 

• Move this year on health reform legislation that provides quality and affordable health care for all while reducing the rate of growth in health care costs in the future;
• Ensure that mental illness treatment is included as part of any required basic benefit package AND is covered at parity relative to medical surgical benefits consistent with Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; and
• Address medical co-morbidities experienced by individuals with serious mental illness through expanded access to primary care and early intervention services.

NAMI also urges that any health care reform package should include:

• Adequate financing in order to guarantee that health reform lives up to its promise of delivering comprehensive, affordable coverage; 
• Income-based standards for premiums, co-payments, deductibles and all out-of-pocket health care costs;
• Premium subsidies on a sliding scale up to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level along with limits on cost sharing so health coverage is affordable for all American families;
• An expansion of Medicaid that strengthens and maintains Medicaid’s role as the base of coverage for current mandatory beneficiaries;
• Improvements to portability, enrollment, and renewal to maximize coverage, minimize red tape, and provide stability for all Americans;
• Regulations that prevent insurance companies from discriminating based on health status, gender, and occupation;
• Guarantees that quality, affordable health care coverage is available across the country and that individuals and families have options in selecting health plans;
• Financial support and incentives for primary community-based care – especially for children and adults living with serious mental illness;
• Adequate cost savings to improve long-range fiscal stability;
• A strong employer responsibility requirement with penalties for those employers who do not offer coverage based on total payroll rather than penalties tied only to employees who receive income subsidies;
• Sufficient assistance for states so that federal health reform does not impose an unnecessary burden on already strained state budgets, and that does not punish states that have chosen to expand Medicaid and SCHIP coverage above federal requirements.

Learn More

Learn more about health reform and read NAMI’s principles and goals for health reform legislation.

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