William F. Smith: “I support better health care being made available for the mentally ill. Americans should have the freedom to choose…”

“I support better health care being made available for the mentally ill. Americans should have the freedom to choose health care plans that offer mental health benefits. I also support the passage of H.R. 1424, the ``Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007,'' because this legislation represents a step forward in the mental health care debate. However, I believe the House bill goes too far by limiting physicians' ability to refer patients to physician-owned hospitals. Physician-owned hospitals play an important role in providing high quality care to patients. These facilities should not be penalized for offering accessible health care to so many individuals. In addition, this legislation requires any plan that provides mental health or substance-related disorder benefits to offer coverage for all disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The list of disorders encompassed by this legislation is too broad and could be used by some individuals to take advantage of the health care system. H.R. 1424 also will not allow employers to have discretion over the benefit coverage decisions for their employees. It instead imposes a mandate that requires employers to cover all conditions listed in the DSM-IV. This mandate likely will increase health insurance costs.”