Posted by Chris Mason on April 17, 1999 at 13:11:36:
This was in todays letters to the editor in the Oregonian. Please write and call his office and eventually under pressure he may actually start representing the citizens of Oregon instead of the special interest. His phone number is (503) 986-1950, his fax is (503) 371-3132, and his email is senate.republican@state.or.us
Don't make threatening statements since it WILL hurt the workers in our state. Heres the article.
Cover mental-health needs
Profit-driven bottom-line insurance companies are using their monetary clout to prevent mental-health counseling parity benefits. These benefits are strictly limited, unlike physical health benefits.
In this time of great need for psychological counseling, it is alarming to see the control of citizens' health by insurance companies.
Our highly stressful environment is affecting families in greater numbers while insurance companies, through such folk as Rep. Gene Derfler R-Salem, prevent the very health services required to meet their needs. While insurance corporation chief executive officers make millions, the minimum wage is attacked.
Families are under economic attack, resulting in higher stress levels and often inadequate parenting time for their children. As even our intellectually advantaged youth drop out and act out in sometimes violent ways, the powerful state legislators refuse to allow preventive care for these troubled and overworked families.
Senate Bill 529 would provide parity for mental-health services with physical-health services. Apparently Derfler is more sympathetic to a "mandate" on insurance companies than a "mandate" on the taxpayers for the resulting havoc in our communities when mental health needs go unmet.
Sharon Scott
Salem