Will parity for mental health payments make mental illness better understood and accepted?
Of course, mental health advocates had to work long and hard to get Congress to pass the mental health parity act. This act requires health insurers to reimburse mental health providers at the same rate as they reimburse physical health providers.
However, once the act kicks in, and people start seeing that mental health issues are being paid for at a rate comparable to physical health providers, will they start taking mental illness more seriously? I.e., see it as more legitimate. Not think that people are wimps or faking it so much as they did before? Not laughing at therapists as being a kind of paid friend? What’s your take?
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7 Answers
A new law changing people’s opinions…unrealistic. For example, hate crime laws are in place. Has hate crime ceased? No.
The equality with physical injuries will probably make skeptics resentful, bitter and stubborn. The the lack of seriousness on mental illness is a deep problem, and I highly doubt a new law will fix that. Have you ever heard of a miracle law which caused everyone to smile and agree with their neighbor on [insert name here] issue? Only when individuals change their own individual opinions by choice will the situation improve.
@Spinel
Hate crimes are thought crimes, and thought crimes are notoriously hard to police.
That legislation shouldn’t even be there.
@Nullo I never said I agreed or disagreed with it. I merely stated it as an example of my point on how this new mental health act won’t change the views of the populous on mental diseases. It will make it worse, I do believe.
@Spinel
Sorry ‘bout that; I’d slipped into ‘Peanut Gallery’ mode.
* Throws peanuts back* It’s quite alright really. What would Fluther be without an occasional burst in the bubble? :)
I’m not suggesting that the new law, per se, would change people’s minds. Rather the practice of getting equal coverage for mental illness might make people think differently. It will become less costly to get care, and therefore it might be more legitimized. After all, the dollar is almighty.
I feel like many people think that if something is worth paying for, then it must be valuable. Thus, in the past, mental health services weren’t considered worth paying for—at most half of what they cost and usually around 20%. Now it will be on par with the deductibles and copays for physical illnesses. It seems to me that people will look and that and think that if those services are worth paying for, then they must treat serious illnesses.
I think that it’s the other way around. Change in thinking has gotten the law passed and its implementation will eventually force mainstream opinions to change. The Civil Rights Act didn’t change thinking, but it set in place a structure for change where now racists are considered a radical fringe. It will take a generation for the thought change to fully integrate. Those of us who are open about our mental health issues are doing the same work that other civil rights advocates have done in the areas of racial, gender and sexual orientation equality.
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