January 12, 2010
Affordable Healthcare for America Act and
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Letter expressing thanks to the Senator and the
Speaker of the House for their committed efforts and leadership in
health care reform through the “Affordable Health Care for America
Act” and the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and
expressing support for the continued inclusion of provisions
improving mental health services for Americans.
December 9, 2009
ENHANCED Act: Establishing a Network of
Health-Advancing National Centers of Excellence for Depression
(House)
Letter expressing support for H.R. 4204, the
“Establishing a Network of Health-Advancing National Centers of
Excellence for Depression (ENHANCED) Act” and its efforts in
increasing awareness and care of individuals with depression and
bipolar disorders in an accurate fashion through the expansion of
depression centers and the creation of a national database for
studies and evidence concerning healthy treatment for these mood
disorders.
November 13,
2009
ENHANCED Act: Establishing a Network of
Health-Advancing National Centers of Excellence for Depression
(Senate)
Letter supporting S. 1857, the “Establishing a
Network of Health-Advancing National Centers of Excellence for
Depression (ENHANCED) Act” and its efforts in increasing awareness
and care of individuals with depression and bipolar disorders in an
accurate fashion through the expansion of depression centers and the
creation of a national database for studies and evidence concerning
healthy treatment for these mood disorders
November 4, 2009
Affordable Health Care for America Act
Letter expressing strong support for H.R. 3962, the
“Affordable Health Care for America Act” and its inclusion of
positive provisions for mental health and substance use services as
well as insurance market reforms.
October 23, 2009
America's Healthy Future Act and Affordable
Health Choices Act
Letter expressing gratitude for the Senators’
commitment to health care reform through the “America’s Healthy
Future Act” and the “Affordable Health Choices Act” and urging
continued support for provisions for mental health services as the
bills are merged for consideration on the senate floor.
September 24,
2009
Baucus-Senate Health Bill Recommendations
Letter expressing support for the committee’s
modified draft health reform legislation “America’s Healthy Future
Act” and its efforts to further provide access to affordable and
quality healthcare services and commending its inclusion of MHLG
priorities.
July 17, 2009
Affordable Health Choices Act of the House
Letter supporting H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable
Health Choices Act of 2009,” the House Healthcare Reform Bill, which
will help to ensure that all individuals have access to affordable
and quality health care services and commending the inclusion of
MHLG priority issues.
June 19, 2009
Chronic Care Improvement Act
Letter expressing support for S. 1136, the Mental
Illness Chronic Care Improvement Act which co-locates primary care
capacity in Community Mental Health Centers and other
community-based providers and finances an integrated care model that
facilitates access to needed medical services.
June 16, 2009
Affordable Health Choices Act
Letter supporting the Committee’s Draft of the
“Affordable Health Choices Act” which works to ensure that all
individuals have access to affordable and quality health care
services and integrates mental health and substance use services
into primary care, other health care settings and benefit packages
continuing the parity work of the Wellstone/Domenici Act.
June 8, 2009
Letter expressing support for the Reed Amendment to
the Affordable Health Choices Act, which co-locates primary care
capacity in Community Mental Health Centers and other
community-based providers and finances an integrated care model that
facilitates access to needed medical services.
May 28, 2009
Response to a request for information as Congress
begins the rulemaking process on the Paul Wellstone and Pete
Dominici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
May 22, 2009
Letter endorsing the Healthy Transitions Act of 2009, which provides
access to knowledge, skills and support that are necessary for young
adults with mental health disorders to successfully transition to
adulthood.
May 12, 2009
May 12, 2009
Letter expressing support for comprehensive healthcare reform that
builds upon the recently enacted parity legislation by incorporating
mental health services into every facet of the reform.
April 6, 2009
Letters expressing support for the Community Living Assistance
Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, which provides options to
purchase long term care insurance through a national program,
pooling rise and providing more affordable premiums to increase
access to this increasingly needed benefit.
February 17, 2009
Mental Health On Campus Act
Letter expressing support for the Mental Health on
Campus Improvement Act, which assists universities in addressing the
growing mental health needs of their communities by providing grants
to eligible colleges for comprehensive behavioral health programs.
September, 10, 2008
H.R. 1424 and S. 558 Parity Bill
Letter urging the passage of mental
health and addiction parity legislation that reconciles House and
Senate parity bills (H.R. 1424 and S. 558), which would build on the
Mental Health Parity Act of 1996.
July 16, 2008
Letter supporting S. 3155, to reauthorize and improve
the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 by
including a set of mental health specific improvements.
July 16, 2008
Letter supporting The Healthy Transitions Act (H.R.
6375), which would establish planning and implementation grants to
States to assist in the development of a coordinated service
delivery system for young adults transitioning to the adult mental
health system.
February 13,
2008
H.R. 5173 MEDICAID MORATORIUM
Letters supporting S. 2578 and H.R. 5173, which impose a moratorium
until April 1, 2009 on the implementation of the interim final
regulations for Medicaid Optional State Plan Case Management
Services, which would limit important case management services and
unduly restrict the ability of Medicaid beneficiaries to access
needed care.
December 7, 2007
S. 2182 Community Mental Health Services
Improvement Act
Letter supporting
the Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act (S. 2182) and
the Community-Based Mental Health Infrastructure Improvement Act (S.
2183), both of which include provisions which will improve the
health and well-being of people living with mental illness and
addictions.
November 14, 2007
MENTAL HEALTH PARITY
ACT OF 2007
AGPA was included
on a list of 271 organizations supporting the Mental Health Parity
Act of 2007.
September 20, 2007
PAUL WELLSTONE MENTAL
HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS EQUITY ACT
AGPA was included
on a list of 225 organizations supporting the Paul Wellstone Mental
Health and Addictions Equity Act.
September 6, 2007
STATE CHILDREN'S
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (SCHIP)
Letter expressing gratitude and
support for mental health provisions in the House and Senate-passed
bills that reauthorize and give needed improvements to the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
August 30, 2007
S. 1852, THE "STOP
SENIOR SUICIDE ACT"
Letter supporting the legislation
recently introduced, S. 1854, the “Stop Senior Suicide Act.”
July 17, 2007
PRIVACY AND SECURITY
OF INDIVIDUAL HEALTH RECORDS
Letter to Senate Leadership on concern
about the need for privacy and security of individual health records
as the development of a national interoperable health information
technology (HIT) infrastructure moves forward.
June 29, 2007
MANAGER'S AMENDMENT TO
S. 558, THE MENTAL HEALTH PARITY ACT OF 2007
Letter supporting the manager’s
amendment to S. 558, the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007,
legislation with the goal of relieving insurance discrimination
against people in need of mental or substance use disorder services.
June 8, 2007
GARRETT LEE SMITH
MEMORIAL ACT
Support (S. 1514/H.R. 2511) to
reauthorize the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act which works toward
suicide prevention and early intervention among youth.
June 7, 2007
CHILD HEALTH CARE
CRISIS RELIEF ACT
Letter expressing support for the
Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act. This legislation addresses the
national shortage of children’s mental health professionals,
including school-based professionals, by encouraging more
individuals to enter these critical fields.
May 29, 2007
CHILDREN'S MENTAL
HEALTH PARITY ACT (S.1337)
Letter commending the introduction of
“Children’s Mental Health Parity Act” (S. 1337) to require equitable
coverage of mental health services in the State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP).
April 23, 2007
H.R. 1663, "THE
MEDICARE MENTAL HEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2007"
Support H.R. 1663,
“The Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2007”, which will
ensure Medicare beneficiaries have adequate access to effective
mental health treatments.
March 7, 2007
STATE CHILDREN'S
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM
Urging that the
State Children’s Health Insurance Program provide equitable coverage
of mental health services, which are key components of the full
range of services needed for healthy childhood development.
January 24, 2007
KEEPING FAMILIES
TOGETHER ACT
Supporting the
Keeping Families Together Act which responds to the growing crisis
in children’s mental health by addressing a fragmented service
system. The act provides grants to states to establish interagency
systems of care for children and adolescents with serious mental and
emotional disorders.
December 5, 2006
TERRY CLINE NOMINATION FOR SAMHSA
Supporting the
nomination of Terry L. Cline, Ph.D., of Oklahoma for Administrator
of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
September 11, 2006
PSYCHOLOGICAL KEVLAR ACT
Supporting the
Psychological Kevlar Act which represents an important step in
addressing the unmet mental health and addiction needs of military
service-members returning from the Middle East by increasing and
improving education, prevention, screening and treatment activities.
June 14, 2006
POSITIVE AGING ACT
Supporting
inclusion of vital mental health provisions of the Positive Aging
Act in the bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, which would
make mental health screening available and accessible to older
Americans.
June 14, 2006
SENIOR INDEPENDENCE ACT
Urging the
inclusion of the mental health language proposed by Representative
Danny Davis in the Senior Independence Act, the bill to reauthorize
the Older Americans Act, which would make mental health screening
available and accessible to older Americans.
May 9, 2006
SMALL EMPLOYERS HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM ACT
Support for the
Small Employers Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) Act, which makes
insurance for small purchasers more affordable by providing for
shared insurance risk through a large nationwide pool.
April 12, 2006
HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE MODERNIZATION AND
AFFORDABILITY ACT
Expressing
opposition to the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and
Affordability Act of 2005, which would preempt state insurance laws
in the small, individual and large group markets.
March 7, 2006
HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE MODERNIZATION AND
AFFORDABILITY ACT
Expressing
opposition to the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and
Affordability Act of 2005, which would preempt state insurance laws
in the small, individual and large group markets.
January 3, 2006
WELLSTONE MENTAL HEALTH EQUITABLE TREATMENT
ACT
AGPA was included
on a list of 344 organizations supporting the Paul Wellstone Mental
Health Equitable Treatment Act.
December 16, 2005
DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT
Urging Congress to
include in the final version of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 a
vital provision to protect Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to
antipsychotic and antidepressant medications.
November 15, 2005
PRIVACY OF HEALTH RECORDS
Alert these
ranking members to ongoing concerns about the need to ensure privacy
of individual health records as the development of a national
interoperable health information technology (HIT) infrastructure
moves forward.
October 14, 2005
MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LEGISLATION
Urging Congress to
use the lessons learned from the aftermath of natural disasters such
as Hurricane Katrina and pass mental health parity legislation which
would end continuing discriminatory health insurance practices that
arbitrarily deny people needed mental health treatment.
September 14, 2005
MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM INCREASED FUNDING
Urging maintenance
of the highest-approved funding increases for mental health programs
as the final appropriation bill was negotiated.
June 1, 2005
POSITIVE AGING ACT
Support for the
“Positive Aging Act of 2004,” which makes health services for older
adults an integral part of primary care services in community
settings and extends them to other settings where seniors reside and
receive services.
May 26, 2005
MEDICARE MENTAL HEALTH COPAYMENT EQUITY ACT
Support for the
Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act, which reduces the
discriminatory 50% coinsurance for outpatient mental health care
over six years to 20%, bringing the coinsurance in line with that
required of beneficiaries for other Part B services.
May 17, 2005
KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER ACT
Support for the
Keeping Families Together Act, which establishes a state family
support grant program to end the tragedy of parents needing to
relinquish legal custody of their children to state agencies for the
sole purpose of obtaining mental health services for their children.
April 25,
2005
MEDICARE MENTAL HEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT
Support for the
Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2005, which addresses
the deficiencies in the Medicare mental health benefit which keeps
it from meeting the treatment needs of millions of beneficiaries
suffering from mental and emotional disorders.
March 14, 2005
OPPOSITION TO EXEMPTION OF AHPs FROM STATE
LEGISLATION
Expressing opposition to legislation that would exempt association
health plans (AHPs) from state legislation.
March 3, 2005
MENTAL HEALTH COPAYMENT EQUITY ACT
Support for the
Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act, which reduces the
discriminatory 50% coinsurance for outpatient mental health care
over six years to 20%, bringing the coinsurance into line with that
required of Medicare beneficiaries for other Part B services.
March 3, 2005
CHILD CRISIS RELIEF ACT
Support for the
Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act, which addresses the national
shortage of children’s mental health professionals by encouraging
more individuals to enter this critical field
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