Thursday, June 05, 2003

Assembly passes mental health `parity' bill (New York)
Newsday story - "The state Assembly passed a bill Wednesday requiring insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment comparable to that provided for physical ailments. The measure was immediately assailed by the state's largest corporate lobbying group as representing another mandate that will drive up the cost of doing business in New York state. A chief Assembly sponsor of the bill, Montgomery County Democrat Paul Tonko, said current law allows insurance companies to deny coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of chemical dependency or mental health problems."