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The CO$ May Now Officially Shit Its Pants. Mental Health Parity Bill Signed Into Law.

Kha Khan

Patron Meritorious
While the subject matter of this post may seem a bit arcane, obscure or trivial at first glance, let me assure you that this is a MAJOR issue for the Church of Scientology. Let me also assure you that the Church will perceive this to be a MAJOR loss. I would be shocked if one or more persons were not demoted or RPFed because of this. The following feeds into, and indeed nourishes, every paranoid conspiracy theory held by the Church.

As you undoubtedly know, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the financial bailout bill, and President Bush signed it into law. What you may not know is that the bill contained a mental health parity provision. The mental health parity provision is now the law of the land, applicable in all fifty states. The provision "bans employers and insurers from imposing stricter limits on coverage for mental health and substance-use conditions than those set for other health problems."

As Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) commented:

"We are ushering in a new era of healthcare for those with mental illnesses. No longer will we allow mental health to be treated as a stepchild in the healthcare system. If you have insurance, then your mental health care must be equal to the benefits you get for any other disease."​

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) explained:

"It will now be the law of the land that people with such illnesses deserve the same access to affordable coverage as those with physical illnesses. It's a great day for everyone who believes in fairness and fundamental justice for all."​

Interestingly, the mental health parity provision was not "tacked on" to the bailout bill. On the contrary, because of the rule that all spending bills must originate from the House, legislators picked the "earlier mental health parity bill as the container for the financial package."

As Lovinglife625 noted in an earlier post, the Church of Scientology made a last ditch effort to defeat the mental health parity provision:

Good prediction about this driving "the church" nuts! Check out this email sent today from "[email protected]":

"/// ALERT /// ALERT /// ALERT /// ALERT /// ALERT ///

US House to Vote on Financial Bailout Bill which was added to the Mental Health Parity Bill

Call your U.S. House Rep and tell them NO to HR 1424 - Wall Street Bailout Bill and Mental Health Parity Bill

As you may know, the US Senate passed this bill. Now it heads to the House of Representatives where a vote is expected tomorrow - Friday Oct 3, 2008! The Bailout Is Actually the Parity Bill: Financial bail out language was added to it.

A call to your US Representative is needed immediately.

Remember: All the attention right now is on the bail out, not on mental health parity. If you simply call a legislative aide and say, "We don't want this mental health parity bill to pass," you are likely to get the answer that the House isn't considering mental health parity, they are considering the Bail Out bill.

Therefore, to keep the message simple, the easiest thing to do would be to call in opposing the bail out because you don't want mental health parity. NO to HR 1424! Get your friends to call!!

If this bill passes, it may lead to insurers being required to cover treatment for "disorders" included in psychiatry's billing bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) , such as “spelling disorder,” “nicotine use or withdrawal,” “mathematics disorder,” “oppositional defiant disorder” and “sibling rivalry disorder.” All of which will obviously lead to - more psychiatric drugging!

Go here: http://www.house.gov to find your US House Representative and call, e-mail or fax a message or all three!"​

I know when I was involved with the LA Org at Big Blue in the mid-1990s and in the early 2000s there was an effort to pass mental health parity legislation at the State level in California. The Church of Scientology fought vehemently against the effort. It was a MAJOR issue for the Church and of great, overriding concern.

At the time, I talked with not only Church members but also members of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights. Besides their hatred of psychiatry and belief in insane conspiracy theories, they had a more practical concern. The more practical concern was that people were being made into "illegal" PCs faster then they could be converted to Scientology. The Church recognized that it was losing the race. Thus, they were concerned that if mental health parity legislation passed, even if only in California, they would "lose."

Depending on your views of psychiatry, you may or may not consider this a "win." But there can be no doubt that the Church considers this to be a major LOSS. To provide a basis for comparison (or order of magnitude comparison if you like), I believe this development will be far more upsetting to DM and the other current powers (if any) in the Church than any protest Anonymous may do this year, or indeed all Anonymous protests put together.

Although not nearly as public or high publicity, the Church may perceive that this will have a greater adverse effect in the long term than the leaked Tom Cruise video.

And if the Church has any knowledge regarding the current political scene, the power players, and how Congress works, the Church will realize that it has precisely zero chance of reversing this development. The Church may hope to rehabilitate Tom Cruise, or replace him with the next celebrity flavor of the month, in the eyes of the public. But in the eyes of the Church, this legislation is forever.

I guess the Church of Scientology can officially shit its pants right now.
 

FlunkedForLaughing

Patron with Honors
Now THAT'S something I feel comfortable about standing and clapping and hollering Hip Hip Horrraaaay!

Huge losses for the cult are a good thing.

FFL
 

Yoghurt

Patron
Sounds great, but I'm still not clear on it exactly. Does this affect the CoS or just piss them off?
 

Kha Khan

Patron Meritorious
Sounds great, but I'm still not clear on it exactly. Does this affect the CoS or just piss them off?

The fact that it pisses them off affects them. It is completely contrary to their entire world view and the professed aims and goals of Scientology.

Long term, and even medium term, it will affect them in a more concrete way. As a matter of simple economics it will increase the number of "illegal" PCs. It will make psychiatric medication more affordable (less cost), which will increase demand, increasing the number of "illegal" PCs, and therefore decreasing the number of people who are eligible for auditing.

Take for example, hypothetical Sam Smith. Assume he suffers from depression. Prior to thie bill, he saw a psychiatrist and was properly prescribed psychiatric medication. He didn't fill the prescription, however, because his health plan didn't cover psychiatric medication (and perhaps not even the visit to the psychiatrist), and he can't afford to pay for the medication himself.

Now the mental health parity bill passes and is signed into law. Under the new law, his health insurer has to cover his psychiatric medication for depression. Sam Smith, who can now afford the medication, fills his prescription, takes the medication, and becomes an "illegal" PC who is not eligible for auditing.

Sam Smith also becomes another person who will be less than pleased if he learns that a "religion" has decided that he is somehow now "illegal" in some way. How much sympathy do you think Sam Smith will have for the "illegal" PC policy if he learns of it? How much sympathy do you think Sam Smith will have for the "illegal" PC policy if he learns he is illegal?

Now multiply "Sam Smith" by the number of other people, nationwide, who had psychiatric problems but who also had health plans that previously didn't prove coverage for mental health (or did so on a reduced basis) but now must provide such coverage.
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
Kha Khan;151903 Now the mental health parity bill passes and is signed into law. Under the new law said:
:omg:

I would prefer Sam Smith to find himself a third option in order to snap out of his depression.

This is not a win from where I see it ... :no:
 

Yoghurt

Patron
:omg:

I would prefer Sam Smith to find himself a third option in order to snap out of his depression.

This is not a win from where I see it ... :no:

It may not be a win for a drug-free recovery for Sam, but it sounds like it's a win against the CoS.

Some psyche drugs are actually helpful for when there's a quantifiable, tangible chemical upset or something like that. Drugs (and cults) that say "You should only ever feel absolute happiness" are dangerous.

EDIT:
I have a friend who was recently put into the psyche ward. If it wasn't for the anti-psychotics they gave him I dread to think where he'd be. Telling him to read a huge and confusing book and pay thousands of dollars would not have helped at all.
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
It may not be a win for a drug-free recovery for Sam, but it sounds like it's a win against the CoS.

Some psyche drugs are actually helpful for when there's a quantifiable, tangible chemical upset or something like that. Drugs (and cults) that say "You should only ever feel absolute happiness" are dangerous.

EDIT:
I have a friend who was recently put into the psyche ward. If it wasn't for the anti-psychotics they gave him I dread to think where he'd be. Telling him to read a huge and confusing book and pay thousands of dollars would not have helped at all.

I would STILL prefer that a third option be attempted ... and I did not suggest any huge and confusing books be handed out at great expense.
 

Yoghurt

Patron
I would STILL prefer that a third option be attempted ... and I did not suggest any huge and confusing books be handed out at great expense.

Of course, so would I. First try without drugs, use drugs as a last resort, never resort to Scientology.

The huge book thing was referring to the Scientologists' solution to my mate's problems. Dianetics.
 

Anne Ominous

Patron with Honors
Never undersestimate how rabidly Scilons still believe all the stupid conspiracy garbage about 'the evil psyches'. A number of them still persistently believe that Anonymous is somehow organised by 'the psyches'. Holocaust? Psyches did it. 9/11? Guess who.

'The Psyches' are the ultimate (imagined) enemy of CoS, and they consider them far worse than any Anonymous.

This is everything that CoS desires to destroy enjoying a great victory for itself, and they won't be happy about it one bit.
 

Carmel

Crusader
Not real happy!

Under the PBS (pharmaceutical benefits scheme) in Australia, anti-depressants have been included for some time. Unfortunately in this country, doctors are and have been prescribing the likes of ritilin to boys, left right and centre.

The number of boys on this stuff in NSW (in the lower socio economic bracket especially), is huge - and has been on the increase for some time now.

Through my past association with sport in my area, I have known many kids who were on it, or who were put on it at the school's request and then doctors 'approval'.

I saw many gorgeous young boys with free spirits and a zest for life - get put on this stuff and change before my eyes. Heartbreaking to say the least - and especially when I knew that most of them just needed some decent comm., understanding, a diet change, some space to play, and maybe a supplement - like omega 3 oil.....but that (not covered by the pbs) cost $40 a month, when the ritilin under the pbs scheme only cost $2 a month.

While I was successful in helping some parents find and use the alternatives to ritilin (to help 'solve' the problem they may have had with their child), I was continually hitting up against the 'easy cheap solution' that ritilin was, under the pbs scheme.

There may have been genuine cases that were in need of this stuff (although if they were under my roof, I doubt it), but making it as available as, and then dishing it out - like pop corn at the movies.......is a sad thing in my books.

I'm not saying I know the solution on a broad scale, but I do believe that the inclusion of this in the bill just passed, is certainly a "solution" that can and will only lead to just another problem.
 

gomorrhan

Gold Meritorious Patron
Now THAT'S something I feel comfortable about standing and clapping and hollering Hip Hip Horrraaaay!

Huge losses for the cult are a good thing.

FFL

The enemy of my enemy may be my ally, but he is not necessarily my friend. The fact that this upsets the Church of Scientology does mean that they are likely to waste resources fighting their perceived enemy. This doesn't mean that the bill is a good thing. I hope that it does fund research and streamline delivery of needed help to people who are sometimes destitute and homeless. I hope it doesn't just throw money at pharmaceutical companies, though, as they have shown a reckless disregard for patient health and a willingness to bypass the doctor and market their medication directly to the consumer, generating drug-seeking behavior.
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
Never undersestimate how rabidly Scilons still believe all the stupid conspiracy garbage about 'the evil psyches'. A number of them still persistently believe that Anonymous is somehow organised by 'the psyches'. Holocaust? Psyches did it. 9/11? Guess who.


er ... not being a 'rabid Scilon' I wouldn't know ... but I DO know that the real winners here will be the drug companies ... and the losers are all of us ... I personally do not want to live in a global 'village of the damned' where half the population is on either psych drugs or street drugs (or both) ... I have seen the effects on children (and adults) and there are other ways that have merit.

It isn't only Scios that abhor drugging as the answer either.
 

scientrollogy

Patron with Honors
seems like there's a choice

a) prescribing ritalin for kids (instead of slapping their butt and telling them to behave)
OR
b) Davey's Weird World Order

there is a good chance the psychs will work out something better (eventually),
there's no hope at all of Davey's Mob being anything other than a scam
 

ScudMuffin

Silver Meritorious Patron
While I was successful in helping some parents find and use the alternatives to ritilin (to help 'solve' the problem they may have had with their child), I was continually hitting up against the 'easy cheap solution' that ritilin was, under the pbs scheme.

There's been a lot of talk about this in the UK. A bunch of BMI studies on the effects of anti depressants found that they only really had an effect in severe cases. They also found that the majority of people claiming to be depressed were just simply unhappy. This is part of life, but more and more so people are claiming to be depressed when they're not.

My mum comes out with the 'are you sure your not depressed, maybe you should see a docter' line all the time. Fed up? Yeah, depressed? Nah, I get my fair share of kicks. Parents paranoid and over reacting in the modern age? Yeah, middle class mums being the worst culprits.
 

Thrak

Gold Meritorious Patron
I tend to see the psych drug issue as just another phase the world is going through. Scios are overly paranoid about it. They think you take one Prozac pill and your mind is gone forever. Their mentality reminded me of Refer Madness which was an anti pot propaganda film and only served to reduce the opponents of drug's credibility. I often thought that when I passed the CCHR building seeing it covered with "Psychiatry Kills" signs. How over the top can you be? In any case I think the global reach for chemicals is not so much a conspiracy as it a reach for something new as the religions of the past have lost much credibility. And materialism i.e. drugs, is just another religion. So in order to handle this someone is going to have to fill the void. I can speak for myself at least in that I thought scn was the thing to fill the void. It's no small loss to see it was only a fraud.
 

quietheart

Patron Meritorious
I see this definitely as a loss for Scientology, but also possibly as a loss to the general public. I do believe mental problems exist, I myself have major depressive disorder (have been on meds periodically for many years and they do help through the rough times), Obsessive compulsive disorder (never have been or will be on meds because I don't feel I need them for this), and Post traumatic stress disorder ( have been on meds for it and they helped). My son would have been put on meds for add if he'd attended public school, I've worked with him and he has learned how to help himself stay focused without medication. My nephew has always been in public schools and they put him on meds for add and ocpd when he was in kindergarten, when he's with me he doesn't have to be on meds and I don't have a lot of problems with his behaviors. When he's home with my sister, she parents differently than me, if he's off his meds she's feels like pulling her hair out. I feel in a lot of these situations diet and behavior modification is the right thing to do. I have also babysat another little boy who I absolutely refused to watch if he was off his meds because he was simply that much of a "wild child" without them. Anyway, that's just my opinion. I know others see things differently and that's part of what I love about this board, we're all free to express how we feel and discuss issues. It's a great place to learn about all kinds of things for me.
Es
 

ChaoticPsychotic

Patron with Honors
I think that it is awesome that this bill was passed. I foresee a frantic "Call to Arms" from DM on this topic. It's hilarious. Perhaps we will even see a "protest" formed by a bunch of Scientologists in DC sometime in the near furtue. What an enormous waste of time and money for them. Therefore I feel that it is awesome.

I am sleeping with the enemy myself and have Major Depressive Disorder as well as severe PTSD due to my lovely time in the Sea Org. I just started my treatment 2 months ago after trying every other avenue. I am finally getting some relief after 16 years of MDD.

However, I do not feel that parents should drug their children because they cannot handle them. Perhaps if a mandatory parenting course and license to reproduce were to be implemented, we could have better people more well equipped to take on raising a child properly and therefore less abused and unruly children. I know it's a very controversial idea that I have but I went though the process to adopt a child from the state and it was a 6 month process with training classes, background checks by the FBI, fingerprinting and numerous interviews and a few home studies. Ultimately, we did not adopt due to very personal reasons but I have been through the entire rigmarole and it's a lot!

There's my 2 cents. :coolwink:

Melanie
 
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