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Tell your Senators to enforce parity and lower health care costs

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    People with mental illness are still discriminated against by health plans and many people can’t find an affordable, quality in-network provider. And, health care costs continue to rise – making health care out of reach for many people with mental health conditions. 
    

    This has to stop.

    

    The Senate is trying to address some of these challenges with S. 1895, the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill that will help people with mental health conditions in several ways.

    

    First, this bill will strengthen existing mental health and addiction parity laws. Previous parity laws have expanded access to mental health coverage, but more needs to be done to achieve parity in practice. S. 1895 would require greater accountability and enforcement of parity in health plans so that mental health benefits are equivalent with those provided for physical health care.

    

    But this bill will do more, including:

    • Protect people against certain kinds of surprise medical bills, which overwhelmingly impact people with mental illness, including those in emergency care settings.
    • Lower prescription drug costs by helping to make more generic and biosimilar medication available to people more quickly. 
    • Improve resources to help find providers by requiring health plans to have up-to-date directories of in-network providers, including those who offer mental health services.
    • Bring greater transparency to health care costs so that people can request cost estimates from their providers and health plans about what to expect for their out-of-pocket costs.

    These proposals will help people with mental health conditions get quality, affordable care when and where they need it.


    Your Senators need to hear from you. Reach out TODAY and tell them this bill will help people with mental illness and their families, and we need their support.

    

    Want to have more of an impact? Add to the letter below how this bill will help you or somebody in your life. 

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