Urgent Action Item

Senate Bill 2840 was passed out of  the House Executive Committee yesterday  (May 22nd) as a shell bill with no content.   There are ongoing negotiations concerning the content of this bill to cut Medicaid benefits.  Unfortunately, the legislature is still considering a proposal to limit Medicaid recipients to four prescriptions unless the recipients obtain prior authorization from the very cumbersome Medicaid bureacracy.

Please call your state representative and ask her/ him to support an amendment which would exempt psychotropic medications from the 4-drug limit (other types of meds have been exempted).  Click here to find your state representative and her/his contact information.  

Call Representative Sara Feigenholtz (the sponsor of this bill)  and urge her to amend her bill to exempt psychotropic medications.  

Call Senator Heather Steans (the Senate sponsor of the bill) and urge her to support an amendment to exempt psychotropic medications.  

Click here for a memorandum explaining our opposition to the four drug limit

New England Journal of Medicine Study on the negative effect of restricting access to psychotropic medications

 

Budget Cuts Impact on Mental Health

The Governor’s proposed FY13 budget cuts to the state Medicaid program results in substantial cuts to mental health services.  If implemented, the proposed cuts will do severe harm to persons with mental illnesses, their families, and communities.  The Mental Health Summit recognizes the State’s severe budget crisis.  However, the Mental Health Summit opposes cuts to programs that overall save the State and taxpayers money. To find out how the budget cuts will effect mental health visit us here.