SAY NO TO Mental Health Parity: Opening the Door to Patient Abuse

[Guest guest]

Dear Congressman Israel, Senator Marcellino, and Suffolk County Legilsators:

Say no to the Mental Health Parity.

Respectfully,

Donna M. REILLY

Suffolk Resident

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http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/first/0430-125.html

Mental Health Parity: Opening the Door to Patient Abuse

U.S. Newswire

30 Apr 13:00

Mental Health Parity: Opening The Door To Patient Abuse, Deaths,

Fraud

National Desk, Health Reporter

Contact: Marla Filidei of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights,

800-869-2247

LOS ANGELES, April 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Citizens Commission

on Human Rights (CCHR), a 33-year psychiatric watchdog, says that

if unlimited mandated mental health parity is passed, there will be

more widespread patient abuse and fraud. Already, the mental

health industry defrauds the government up to $40 billion per year;

between 1950 and 1990, the total number of inpatient deaths

exceeded the number of Americans killed in 10 wars, including World

Wars I and II, and the Vietnam and Korean Wars; today, there are up

to 150 restraint deaths per year in psychiatric institutions and,

as The New York Times exposed this week, 960 people died between

1995 and 2001 in New York group homes for the mentally ill -- all

without accountability.

" Mental health parity amounts to a blank check for a mental

health industry that cannot police itself, frequently abuses

patients and rips off the health care system. Costs of psychiatric

care run a staggering 300 percent more than other health care

services, with a greater percentage of this going to brain-damaging

psychiatric drugs, " says Bruce Wiseman, U.S. president of CCHR.

In a compelling article in The Washington Times last December,

CCHR co-founder Szasz, professor emeritus of psychiatry,

wrote, " Advocating 'parity for mental illness' is a hoax. The

supporters of 'mental health parity' do not want parity for mental

patients: They do not seek equal 'legal treatment' by legislators

and courts for mental patients and medical patients. What they want

is parity for psychiatrists: They seek equal 'monetary treatment'

by health insurance companies for psychiatrists and other

physicians. "

" Parity " will only saddle the nation's companies with a

financial burden in times of economic stress. Recently President

Bush told Congress, " If we restrain spending...if we react

responsibly, we can return to a balanced budget. " The

Congressional Budget Office estimates " parity " to cost $5.4 billion

for the federal government and $23 billion for the American people

over the next 10 years. It is estimated to raise insurance

premiums more than 11 percent.

Nor will " parity " provide effective treatment. As a growing

number of psychiatrists state, psychiatrists have become " drug

pushers. " Today, antipsychotics (neuroleptic) sales have reached

$5.5 million and antidepressant sales are $12.5 billion in the

United States. America accounts for 70 percent of the world

consumption of antidepressants, 60 percent of antipsychotics drugs,

and 80-90 percent of one stimulant prescribed to children, known as

" kiddy cocaine. "

American psychiatrists discriminate in their treatment of

" schizophrenia, " pushing drugs despite many studies showing that

relapse rates have been better for non-drugged patients. In a

study over eight years, the World Health Organization found that

patients in three poor countries -- India, Nigeria, and Colombia --

fared dramatically better than U.S. patients and four other

developed countries; 64 percent of the patients in the poor

countries were without symptoms and functioning well. The

difference? Only 16 percent of the patients were maintained on

neuroleptics in the poor countries. In rich countries, the figure

was 61 percent.

While psychiatrists cry about " reducing stigma, " it is their

labels and treatment that initially create the stigma.

Psychiatrists drug what they cannot even define: A commentary on

schizophrenia in the " Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (DSM-II), " says, " Even if it had tried, the (APA)

Committee could not establish agreement about what this disorder

is; it could only agree on what to call it. "

The main groups pushing for parity receive huge funds from

special interest groups who profit from the drug model psychiatry

is foisting off on the public. These same groups orchestrated the

" anti-stigma " campaign, says Wiseman: " Who is doing the

stigmatizing here? Millions of children and adults are being told

there is something 'wrong' with their brain, though no one can

prove it. They are labeled 'mentally ill' with diagnoses that are

completely subjective and then subjected to dangerous and addicting

mind-altering drugs in order to change their behavior. It's pretty

clear where the 'stigmatization' is coming from. It's coming from

the mental health monopoly that stands to profit at the sake of

millions of Americans. "

To view CCHR's full report on Mandated Mental Health Parity,

visit:

www.psychassault.com/parity_analysis_cover.htm

CCHR was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology to

investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights.

For more information contact Marla Filidei at 800-869-2247.

http://www.usnewswire.com

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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

04/30 13:00

Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire