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P/CLOUDY Temp: 46 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, April 20, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 4, 2003 Hannon urges aid for psych, alcohol treatment By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — The two most powerful members of the Senate testified Thursday in support of a bill to boost benefits for treatment of mental illness and alcoholism. A second hearing is planned next week. For Senate President Pro Tem Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland, it was personal. Six years ago, he spent a month in an alcohol treatment center. And while his treatment was fully covered, many others had to leave treatment after their coverage stopped. "When their benefits ended, they were pronounced cured and sent home, only to return in a few months," said Hannon. "We were treating the symptoms, not the cause." Senate Bill 1 would require group health insurers to provide the same level of coverage for mental illness or alcoholism as they do for traditional medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer. Also supporting the parity bill was Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem. "Parity is equality for families who are suffering from mental illnesses and addiction," he said. When coverage is exhausted, Courtney said, the inevitable result is that patients are forced into the public system for care. Under current law, the payment for mental illness and alcoholism coverage is limited to $13,125 for an adult and $15,625 for a child. There is no limit on medication payments. "A patient struggling to manage diabetes will be able to follow a course of treatment for as long as needed," but the patient afflicted with mental disease is limited in dollars, duration or lifetime health care, Courtney said. Hannon said he began drinking because he could not grieve for his parents, who died within a short time of each other. "I did not set out to become an alcoholic, but I did," he said. "It's time to bring alcoholism out of the closet. Let's treat it for what it is — a disease," he said. Also testifying was John Powell, who represents Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. The health insurer covers about one in three residents in the state. Powell acknowledged that SB1 stands a good chance of passing, given that Hannon, Courtney and two other powerful Democrats, Sen. Avel Gordley and Senate Democratic leader Kate Brown, both of Portland, were the advocates. "We are not advocating passage of mental parity in this environment," Powell said. After the hearing, he said he expects the bill to pass the Senate but have trouble in the House. The health underwriter offered amendments to the original bill that in effect retained the goal of parity but also allowed an HMO psychiatrist to determine the type of care a patient should receive. Under the original bill, the patient's doctor would make that determination. The result, Powell said, would be an enormous burden on companies providing group coverage. "The amendments have not changed the concern about the cost of this bill by Regence," he said. With the amendments, Powell said premium costs might be limited to a 1 to 2 percent rate increase. The hearing drew a large crowd, many of them citizens who told personal stories of trying to cope with alcoholism and mental illness in their families. The Senate Health Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Bill Morrisette, D-Springfield, had planned to move the bill out of committee. But because of the large number of witnesses waiting to testify, the committee decided instead to hold a second hearing next week. Don Jepsen is a free-lance writer living in Salem. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S