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NAMI Colorado has always placed a strong emphasis on public policy education and advocacy. The goal is to be more effective in blocking or amending legislation that negatively impacts people with severe and persistent mental illness.
The Board and NAMI's Public Policy Committee continue to work together to make the best policy decisions about legislation impacting people with mental illness. The Public Policy Committee consists of NAMI members from various local affiliate groups. These members have considerable knowledge about mental illness and how policies can affect NAMI's constituency. Recommendations about policies and legislation are made to the Board.
***NOTE: All Members of NAMI Colorado are eligible to participate on the Public Policy Committee. For more information, please email Lacey Berumen, NAMI Colorado's Executive Director, at lberumen@nami.org
Contact your State and Federal legislators
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES:
A New Colorado Parity Law went into effect on January 1, 2008!!
What are “Parity” Laws?
Mental health parity refers to providing the same insurance coverage for mental health
treatment as that offered for medical and surgical conditions. Colorado law requires certain group health
plans to provide the same benefits for the illnesses and disorders listed below as are provided for any other medical illness. This means that your benefits for these conditions must be the same as benefits for other physical conditions. This includes:
- Co-payments
- Deductibles
- Limits on number of outpatient visits
- Limits on hospital days
The new Parity law adds the following mental disorders to be covered at parity by certain large group insurance plans:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Drug and Alcohol Disorders
- Dysthymia
- Cyclothymia
- Social Phobia
- Agoraphobia with Panic Disorder
- General Anxiety Disorder
- Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
(to the extent these diagnoses are treated on an out-patient, day treatment and in-patient basis,
exclusive of residential treatment)
The Parity law continues to require that these health plans cover the following six biologically
based mental illnesses at parity:
- Schizophrenia
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Bi-polar affective disorder
- Major Depressive disorder
- Specific obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Panic disorder
How do I Know if my Insurance Provides Parity Benefits?
The Colorado parity law applies to group health insurance policies with 50 or more employees. Plans which are exempt from the law include: Individual health plans (not contracted through an employer or any other
group), Employers with fewer than 50 employees, Self-insured employers. Understanding whether your insurance must comply with Colorado and Federal law can be complicated. New benefit summaries may
describe your benefit for mental illness. You may need to check with your employer or with the member customer service department of your health plan.
What are my Rights as a Consumer?
Each health plan has an appeals process. You, your doctor, or therapist can appeal decisions about medical necessity, parity diagnoses or benefits payable if you disagree with your health plan. Details about your health plan’s appeals process can be obtained by calling your member customer service department. If you do not receive a satisfactory result, you may file a complaint with the Colorado Division of Insurance.
For more information, call:
Your Health Plan Provider
Your Employer
Colorado Division of Insurance:
303-894-7490 or 800-930-3745
Mental Health America of Colorado: 720-208-2220 or 800-456-3249
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