Health Insurance Firms Block Parity Bills

[CShine]

WASHINGTON - Aided by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, insurance companies successfully have blocked legislation to make them provide equal coverage for mental and physical illnesses if their policies include both. President Bush endorsed the concept two years ago. Today, supporters of the bill are willing to settle for a scaled-back version they hope Congress will pass in 2004.

The original legislation has 69 sponsors in the Senate and 246 sponsors in the House, clear majorities in both chambers. It was named for late Sen. Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat who championed the issue for years.

Hastert, however, has declined to schedule a House vote. In the Senate, Republicans blocked an attempt to win passage last fall, on the one-year anniversary of Wellstone's death in a plane crash.

"The bottom line is there is still enormous resistance from employers and health plans, and they've been able to turn to allies in the Senate and especially the House," said Andrew Sperling, a lobbyist for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=703&e=8&u=/ap/20040610/ap_on_go_co/mental_health_lobbying

[gulfcoastliberal]

1. Disgusting

More reptilian and thuggish behavior from the boors of the right. Goddamn them and THEIR taxpayer funded healthcare. It'd be nice if they had to look for private policies rather than get goverment care. Then maybe they would be interested in taking a closer look into this slimy industry.

[Mel]

2. this right here is why playing nice with republicans doesn't work

The original legislation has 69 sponsors in the Senate and 246 sponsors in the House, clear majorities in both chambers. It was named for late Sen. Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat who championed the issue for years.


Hastert, however, has declined to schedule a House vote. In the Senate, Republicans blocked an attempt to win passage last fall, on the one-year anniversary of Wellstone's death in a plane crash.

This right here is why I don't give one wit what people have said about the republicans precious Raygun! Let us look at this and bleed for Ronnie and poo poo anyone who speaks bad of the dead 'Raygun' I don't think so!

Republicans don't play by the rules of civil behavior they are only going to keep on, keeping on they are BULLIES! Democrats must fight back period. Playing nice does not and will not work, in the real world people like this get their asses handed to them eventually and it's way past time for these BULLIES.

So, Republicans want their precious Ronnie on everything well do you think they are going to do anything for the beloved Wellstone's memory? I don't think so! Wellstone was one of the best and they can't even let a GOOD piece of legislation come to the floor for a vote! What do they want for their hero Raygun? His mug on a piece of paper tsk! tsk! They have no honor or decency!