The time was right for mental health parity
Assembly Bill A-2512 was to be a cost-saving measure and would have been good for the fiscal health of the state budget and the state economy. It was created to reduce current costs, shifting these costs from the private sector to the public sector, thereby saving the state money and expanding treatment access without relying on additional state resources. This cost shifting has increased costs to the state by as much as 20 percent.

With New Jersey's state deficit growing and the governor now looking to absurdly raise tolls in our state, it's bills like these these that could have saved him from such desperate measures.

The bill, authored by Assemblyman Robert Gordon (D-38) and co-sponsored by 38 other Assembly legislators, would have required healthinsurance plans to provide parity benefits for all mental-health disorders. There are thousands of adolescents and adults who suffer from debilitating mental illnesses and who are denied access to mental-health benefits. New Jersey's current law does not cover illnesses such as 9/11- related post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, postpartum depression, alcoholism and other substance-abuse disorders. Bill A-2512 would have revised statutory mental-health coverage requirements and require all health insurers and state health benefits programs (SHBPs) to cover treatment under the same terms and conditions as other diseases or illnesses.

The consequence of untreated or under-treated mentalhealth disorders exacts a heavy financial burden from the state, as well as large and small businesses. Approximately 25 percent of Medicaid spending went to pay for the consequences of substance abuse.

Bill S-807/A2512 would have resulted in significant cost saving for public and private employers. Health-care costs declined by 40 percent for those treated for their depression and by 23-55 percent following alcohol or drug treatment. For New Jersey's state and public employers, that represents a savings of from $56 million to $134 million in alcohol-related health-care costs alone, and for private employers a savings of more than $680 million to $1.6 billion. A-2512 represented a wise investment for the state, county and local governments, as well as small and large employers.

Unfortunately, due to reasons yet unknown to this author, the bill was never released for full vote in the Assembly, and by not doing that, the state has condemned A-2512 and its counterpart Senate legislation to start from square one again next session. What a pity. The bill had successfully made it through the state Senate, worked its way through Assembly committee, and all that was needed was for Assemblyman Speaker Joseph J. Roberts (D-5) to release this bill for full vote in the Assembly. Unfortunately, with 39 co-sponsors and dozens of coalition groups supporting this bill, it was sadly not meant to be. This legislation could have saved the state of New Jersey millions upon millions of dollars and would have helped literally thousands of New Jersey citizens in receiving the mental health care they needed and deserved. It's truly a sad story, but even one that is more depressing for the state and for all those who really could have used a mental health helping hand in 2008.

Pete Trabucco

Old Bridge