SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Dozens of supporters of a proposal to require medical insurers to cover the costs incurred by treatment for mental illness pleaded with members of the Oregon House to support the plan during a recent hearing.
The proposal is the latest in a string of similar bills that have been introduced over the years to require insurance coverage for treating mental disorders.
But unlike those previous bills, this plan, Senate Bill 1, has passed one chamber, winning Senate backing in March on a 23-6 vote.
Still, the Republican-controlled House has been reluctant to take up mental-health parity proposals, given objections by businesses to the increased cost of fulfilling insurance coverage mandates.
Vincent Salvi of Portland, urged House members to consider the bill at a hearing this week, saying the trauma of discovering that his son was afflicted with a schizo-affective disorder was heightened by the fact that treatment costs quickly exceeded what insurance would pay.
Salvi said he and his wife ended up dipping into their retirement savings and taking out a second mortgage to pay for their son's treatment.
"Very few people can make those types of financial commitments," he said.
Even so, Rep. Billy Dalto, R-Salem, said the bill needed more work on such issues as designing coverage standards and mitigating business concerns about rising insurance costs.
Twenty-three states have already passed or are considering legislation requiring private insurers to provide as much coverage for mental-health treatments as they do for physical medical care. Washington's Legislature passed such a bill this year.
Many businesses, which share the costs of insurance with their employees, have opposed such efforts. In Oregon, the National Federation of Independent Business, Associated Oregon Industries and insurance companies are lobbying against SB 1.
Lisa Trussell, a lobbyist for AOI, told the House panel that for every 1 percent increase in mandated insurance coverage, 3,000 Oregonians will lose their employer-provided insurance because companies won't be able to afford the increase.
But another business lobbying group, the Oregon Business Association, urged lawmakers to pass the mental health parity bill, saying the bill was good for society and for business.
Covering mental-health treatment will help employers' bottom line by reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity, the association said.
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
Released 5/22/05
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