Ohio Lawmakers to Debate Mental Health Insurance Reform Bill
Despite opposition from the health insurance industry, Ohio lawmakers this fall will debate legislation (HB 33) that would "close the insurance gap" for the mentally ill, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Lynn Olman (R), would "reclassify" treatment for mental illness and substance abuse and require Ohio health insurance plans to offer mental health treatment as a "basic health care service." Ohio law defines treatment for mental disorders as "supplemental" health care, and most health insurers provide "little or no coverage." Mental health advocates maintain that private insurers and employers "discriminate" against the mentally ill, offering only "expensive" health plans that provide limited doctor visits and lower lifetime treatment caps than "typical" plans. Pat Bridgman, associate director for the Ohio Council of Behavioral Healthcare Providers, said that many consumers "decide to cut corners and go without" mental health coverage, a point supported by state statistics. According to the Ohio Department of Health:
- One in five Ohio residents suffers from mental illness each year.
- Ninety-five percent of insurance policies do not cover the cost of treating "serious" mental illness.
- Untreated mental illness, often linked to homelessness, job loss and suicide, "indirectly" cost Ohio $3 billion in 1996.
