| LEGISLATION | EMAIL ASSEMBLYMEMBER JIM BEALL, JR. | SIGN UP FOR E-UPDATES | VISIT MY WEBSITE |
SEPTEMBER 2007
IN THIS ISSUE Saving Billions And Long Overdue: Mental Health Parity Offers Californians A Way Out Free School Supplies For The First 1,000 Children At Kid's Fun Day! |
Mental health parity is long overdue in California. Several states recently implemented mental health parity bills, and as far back as January 1, 2001, the U.S. Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) implemented mental health and substance abuse parity in their Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program. The United States Surgeon General estimates that the lack of parity between mental illness, substance abuse, and other medical conditions costs the nation $70 billion a year and that the economic loss from untreated mental illness to California businesses exceeds $10 billion annually. California cannot afford to fall behind. Research shows that not treating mental health and substance abuse disorders comes with a hefty price tag and that the savings resulting from expanded treatment coverage far outweighs the upfront costs. More than 70 percent of the costs of prison, parole, criminal justice, and child welfare are the result of untreated mental health disorders. Given California's dire budget crisis, we must move toward innovative solutions that provide significant cost savings. And, providing access to preventative treatment options in lieu of a costly criminal justice system is one such idea. As it stands today, many health plans do not provide coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders. Those plans that do offer coverage impose disparate limits on mental health care - in essence, discriminating against those with diagnosed and treatable health-care, and mental health care needs. To this end, I introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 423 to address the treatment of those diagnosed with mental health disorders and substance abuse addiction. AB 423, if signed, will provide patients suffering from mental health and substance abuse conditions both treatment and health-care coverage for those illnesses, coverage that is equitable to that provided for other medical illnesses. AB 423 is not only fiscally right, but it is the ethically correct thing to do. I will not stop working on this issue until mental health and substance abuse disorders are viewed in the same light as other chronic medical conditions. In addition to AB 423, I formed the Assembly Select Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to delve deeply into this issue. My web site has all the materials presented at recent meetings and videos of previous hearings. I will be holding hearings in Santa Clara County in the near future, so please visit my web site for updates.
NINEZERO CONFERENCE As not only Chair of the California State Assembly’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Select Committee, but as a parent and husband, substance abuse issues are of special importance to me, and I want to urge you to attend an upcoming conference aimed at raising the awareness of women about the dangers of consuming alcohol and drugs while pregnant. The Santa Clara County Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Task Force (FASD), in conjunction with Santa Clara County FIRST 5, and the VMC Foundation, is hosting the NineZero Conference on Friday, September 7, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel. The NineZero conference informs and educates our community about the reality that there is not a safe amount of alcohol or drugs that a woman can consume while pregnant. NineZero will feature a presentation by Dr. Ira Chasnoff, internationally recognized FASD expert, as well as a variety of workshops focused on viable community approaches to the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The conference is open to the public and costs $90 a person to attend and includes a breakfast, lunch, and parking. You can also register online at www.regathon.com/ninezero or at the door.
Saturday, September 15, 2007 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. As your Assembly Member I work hard to ensure that all of our children start off the school year happy and healthy! But remember, that I am also a local parent, and I know from first- hand experience that for many families the cost of keeping a child healthy and well fed can be exacerbated by the high cost of school supplies. Well, there is help on the horizon! Come to Del Mar High School on September 15, 2007, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for West Side Schools Children’s Health Initiative (WSCHI) Collaborative 4th Annual “Back to School” Kid’s Fun Day. This event identifies and enrolls children without insurance into no-cost/low-cost health insurance. Other attractions include: Health Insurance Sign-Ups, Oral Health Awareness for children entering kindergarten and the 1st grade, Vision and Diabetes Screening, Community information tables, Health education demonstrations, and Health insurance orientations for parents whose children are already insured. In addition, there will be free raffle prizes and the first 1,000 children will receive FREE school supplies. Please stop by and take advantage of all that the WSCHI’s Kid’s Fun Day has to offer!
September 15, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Come talk with me at a FREE community Pancake Breakfast on September 15, 2007, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at the Campbell Community Center! The breakfast will provide us with an informal setting to meet and discuss issues that concern you. It will also provide an opportunity to build new relationships with other community members, as well as strengthen existing relationships with your neighbors. My hope is that these pancake breakfasts will help us all create a healthier, happier and safer community! Remember, there is no cost for the breakfast, but PLEASE call (408) 282-8920 to RSVP, or visit my web site at www.assembly.ca.gov/beall for more information. I hope to see you there! |
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District Office: 100 Paseo de San Antonio Capitol Office: |
