Mary Fallin: “I support bipartisan efforts to bring parity between mental health and medical benefits, but I have a concern, and it's…”

“I support bipartisan efforts to bring parity between mental health and medical benefits, but I have a concern, and it's come to my attention, about the mental health parity bill, H.R. 1424. A Supreme Court decision, Doe v. Bolton, lists mental health as a reason that abortion is allowed for health exceptions. This bill, as currently written, could be construed to mandate health care coverage for an abortion as part of treatment for a mental health issue such as depression. As defined by the Court, in their words, ``health of the mother includes all factors, physical, emotional, physiological, familial, and a woman's age, relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.'' And furthermore, in testimony by Dr. James McMahon before the House Judiciary Committee in June 1995, he cited 39 partial birth abortions that were performed because of a mother's depression. Because this issue is unclear, H.R. 1424 lacks a conscious clause applied to this legislation, and there appears to be no protection for an employer to reject health care coverage for such a procedure if they choose to extend mental health coverage to its employees.”