OPEN ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT AND SERVICES
WHEREAS,
mental illness is prevalent in America and failure to acknowledge and treat it
results in extraordinary costs to families and government, as well as cause individual
suffering; and
WHEREAS,
the stigma and treatment of mental illness is impacted by unique cultural and
ethnic traditions and characteristics particularly in communities of color; and
WHEREAS,
it is widely acknowledged by health scientists that individuals react in
manners that vary upon receiving a given treatment, yet historically
participation of members from communities of color in clinical trials has been
limited in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS,
progress is being made to include and analyze data from ethnic minorities in
clinical trials; and
WHEREAS,
ethnic minorities continue to experience pervasive disparities in their health
status indices in America; and
WHEREAS,
persons with mental illness enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare are among our
country’s most vulnerable citizens; and
WHEREAS,
as healthcare expenditures grow, many state Medicaid programs are responding to
the need to cut costs by increasing restrictions on access to medications and
services; and
WHEREAS,
failure to provide access to necessary treatments and services for mental
illness could result in increased costs and suffering for patients and their
families; and
WHEREAS,
prior authorization requirements and restrictions could disrupt the clinical
relationship between doctor and patient and cause doctors, pharmacists,
patients and their families to waste time, money and worry; and
WHEREAS,
restrictions on mental health treatments and services in Medicaid could harm
and may fail to recognize the benefits of recent research, which includes data
on ethnic minorities; and
WHEREAS, bureaucratic appeals mechanisms delay
treatment and cause patients and their families anxiety about whether they are
receiving the medical care the doctor thinks is best or only the medical care
that the payer will allow,
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
that The U. S. Conference of Mayors supports legislation to remove impediments
within the Medicaid system that attempt to control the doctor’s recommendation
and the patient’s access to a course of treatment to meet the patient’s mental
health needs; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The
U. S. Conference of Mayors supports efforts to provide treatments, health
education, and services that recognize the particular needs of our communities,
especially minority communities; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The
U. S. Conference of Mayors calls on the mayors to begin a public dialogue
within their communities on mental health with the goal of erasing the stigma
and fear of mental illness; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The
U. S. Conference of Mayors calls on all concerned parties to increase minority
and under represented communities’ participation in clinical trials.
©2004 U.S. Conference of Mayors