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Archived alerts

• It's Time to Finish the Job On Health Care Reform: Contact Congress--Tell Them to Vote for Change
  After months of debate and discussion, it's time to act on health care reform. The health care reform legislation waiting for a final push through Congress addresses many concerns. That's why we need you to contact your Senators and Representative!
• Tell Congress: Continue the Fight for Reform
  Tell your Senators and Representative that they need to continue the fight for reform and complete action on an overhaul of the system and tell your Members of Congress how lack of insurance or inadequate coverage has harmed you or people you know.
• Tell Your Senators: Extend the Increase in Medicaid Funding
  Contact your Senators and urge them to cosponsor S. 3000 and support action on legislation to extend increased federal support for Medicaid.
• Tell Congress: Don't Abandon the Fight for Reform
  Tell Congress: Don't Abandon the Fight for Reform
• Urge Your Senators to Support Key Mental Health Amendment
  Urge Your Senators to Support Key Mental Health Amendment to Health Reform Plan Would Establish Depression Treatment Centers
• October 20 is National Call-In Day for Health Reform.
  Your voice is key in creating real health reform. Join millions of Americans around the country for a national Call-In Day to Congress on October 20 and tell your representatives:
• One Last Effort to Protect Last Year's Parity Law
  Urge Your Representative to Sign onto Rep. Patrick Kennedy's Letter in Support of Strong Parity Regulations
• Make Access to Mental Health Services a Key Part of Reform
  Members of Congress are back home for the July 4th recess. Urge them to improve access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services and increase coordination between these services and primary care as key elements of health care
• Senate Committee to Act on Health Care Reform TODAY!
  Last week the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee released a draft health care reform bill that would expand coverage for the uninsured and establish new programs to improve health care quality.
• Help Stop PTSD Suicides
  This important letter is from Matt Kuntz, one of our featured speakers at Mental Health America's Centennial Conference (June 10-13, 2009). We first heard about Matt's story last year from then Senator Obama on the campaign trail.
• Health Reform Alert
  Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration are committed to acting on a health care reform plan this spring. With legislators making key decisions on what is included in legislation, they need to hear from you.

• Over 70 House Members Call For Strong, Timely Parity Regulations
  In a follow-up to our successful effort in August in the Senate to direct a letter to the Administration calling for strong and timely regulations to the mental health parity law, Mental Health America joined in a similar effort in the House.With the help of our affiliates, grassroots and other national partners, we helped to secure over 70 House members on the letter.

• Letter to Sec. Sebelius urging integrating the needs of patients into CER
  Mental Health America & The Working Group for Evidence Based Healthcare urges Sec. Sebelius to integrate the needs of patients into federal Operational Plan for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) decision-making and studies.

• Harmful Medicaid Regulations Rescinded
  This week (June 29, 2009), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rescinded a set of harmful changes to Medicaid that would have significantly reduced funding for case management services, outpatient hospital and clinic services, and school-based administrative and transportation services.These regulations had been issued by the previous Administration but then delayed from going into effect by Congress until July 1, 2009.

• Key Opportunity to Influence Parity Regulations
  On April 28, 2009 the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury published a Request for Information asking for public comments on a series of questions related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). These comments will be used to inform the three Departments as they develop the MHPAEA regulations.

• President Obama Proposes a 2 Percent Increase for Mental Health Services 
  On Thursday, May 7, President Obama released the details of his budget. Overall, the Administration proposed a $59 million increase (a roughly 2 percent increase)for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—this was also the increase request (2 percent) for the Centers for Mental Health Services. In particular, the funding proposal for CMHS includes an increase of $17 million for the Children's Mental Health Program (Systems of Care grants) and a nearly$8.5 million increase for the homelessness program.

Sign the pledge today!

Celebrate Our 100 Anniversary By Signing The Pledge

February 19, 2009, marked the centennial celebration of Mental Health America. To celebrate this special occasion, please make a personal pledge for mental health in 2009. Our symbol, The Mental Health Bell, was cast from the chains and shackles once used to restrain those with a mental illness, but today it rings out hope—for progress in the fight for improved care and victory over mental illness. Add your personal pledge for mental health today!

2008 - A Year of Historic Achievements for Mental Health

Mental Health America wants you to know the extraordinary impact Advocacy Network members and others across the country had in pressing Congress to improve people’s access to needed mental health services. Last year's session was momentous and we’re proud of the important, and even historic, legislative gains achieved in 2008. Read the latest edition of the Capitol Hill Update.  

President Signs Mental Health Parity Legislation!

Thanks to the thousands of Advocacy Network members who lent tireless support to our years-long effort to win enactment of legislation to end discrimination in mental health coverage. After House passage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act today, 263-171, President Bush has at last signed mental health/addiction parity into law. 

Click here to learn more about the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

 
About the Advocacy Network

Mental Health America’s Advocacy Network is a powerful voice for change that is made up of thousands of individuals nationwide who take an active role in protecting America’s mental health through legislative advocacy. Together, we speak out and make our voice heard on equal access to care, federal funding, treatment and prevention. Join our movement by signing up today!