With its enactment, families across the United States will have more equitable access to effective treatments that are essential to recovery. The approach is similar to that recently taken by many states. Today the majority of Americans live in states that have parity laws-32 states currently have such laws, with others expected to follow in 2001. The legislation does, however, exempt small businesses with 25 or fewer employees from the requirements of the bill. The total cost of parity is low, because the removal of discriminatory limits is replaced with processes for assessing the medical necessity of proposed treatments.
Parity is both affordable and cost-effective.
Now is the time to act. NAMI has more than 1,200 state and local affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Canada.