The Fight is Not Over

Jul 20, 2017

Wondering what is happening with health reform? Every day–and sometimes multiple times a day–the news changes.

But what doesn’t change is NAMI’s simple test for health reform: Will Americans have more mental health coverage and better care? To date, the answer has been no. Whether it’s the revised Senate bill, repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or repeal and delay, Congress is overlooking millions of Americans who live with mental illness.

All of the proposals would:

• Strip protections for people with mental illness who buy health insurance plans through the marketplace;
• End mental health coverage for millions of Americans; and
• Cut Medicaid services, which would make it even harder for people with mental illness to get medications, case management, mental health services and even hospital care.

Thanks to your personal stories and advocacy messages, Senators are recognizing that health reform efforts will harm people with mental illness.

“As I have said before, I did not come to Washington to hurt people,” Sen. Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WV) said in opposition to current proposals.

However, the fight is not over until it’s over. Senate leadership is still trying to pass one of these damaging proposals.

You may be wondering if it makes a difference to keep calling or writing. It does. Your Senators need to know that you’re still watching and want them to do the right thing.

Ask your Senators to work toward bipartisan solutions that fix the insurance markets, not destabilize Medicaid and mental health coverage for millions of Americans with mental illness.

“The Senate should take a step back and engage in a bipartisan process to address the failures of the ACA and stabilize the individual markets,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said.

Together, we must #Act4MentalHealth.

Take action at www.nami.org/advocacy.