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