The MHANJ supports parity for all NJ citizens. The MHANJ participated in a town hall meeting at Stockton University with Patrick Kennedy to urge parity for all with full implementation of the Federal parity law.
We are working with our national organization, Mental Health America, to track the progress of the federal parity implementation and to advocate for the completion of the regulations, which still have not been published to date.
In New Jersey, state workers have been withheld from parity through a waiver which denies them certain benefits. The MHANJ supports A1665/S1253 which would impact the State Health Benefits Plan and the School Employees Health Benefit Plan (SHBP/SEHBP). SHBP/SEHBP grants cover over 800,000 people who currently lack coverage for the treatment of some mental illness such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), eating disorders and others. These issues are quite serious: eating disorders may be deadly and PTSD may have a pronounced impact on first responders and other public workers involved with tragedies similar to the Newtown, CT shootings.
Since many good mental health facilities are out-of-network, people with serious mental health crises that require immediate institutionalization often must go to an out-of-network facility. This may result in a premature discharge, since out-of-network inpatient is reimbursed at only 50% and limited to 50 days a year.
Establishing mental health parity for the state plans would eliminate the likelihood of a successful challenge under state and federal law to the current discriminatory treatment of mental illnesses.
The bill has strong bipartisan support as well as support from a broad coalition of mental health advocates, those concerned with eating disorders and first responders.
$3.7 million is the annual estimated cost of implementation for parity for state workers, as determined by the Office of Legislative Services on the basis of information from the Department of Treasury.
This bill has passed through both the Assembly and the Senate and is currently awaiting the Governor's signature.