New rules for mental health Care
According to federal regulations issued on Friday, employer-provided group health plans must now offer the same coverage for drug abuse and mental illness as for other ailments. Known as mental health parity, these new measures will ban group health plans from offering different coverage standards for mental health disorders. Substance abuse treatment also and those for surgery or general medical treatment.
Today, employer-provided group health insurance plans cover some 150 million Americans. A bill passed by Congress in 2008, the new rules, exempt group plans covering 50 or fewer workers. Group plans that offer mental health and substance abuse treatment cannot charge higher deductibles under the parity system. They also cannot place different limits on frequency of treatment than they would for medical and surgical care.
After federal agencies review comments from the public, industry and other interested parties, the rules cold take effect as early as July 1st. A Washington-based advocacy group, The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, said the regulations begin the final chapter in an effort to ensure that Americans with mental illness have equal access to health care.
Marijuana Vendors
Growing to almost 1,000 since sale of the drug for medicinal use was approved in 1996, Los Angeles Tuesday gave final approval to an ordinance slashing the number of medical marijuana dispensaries. The Los Angeles City Council said 187 dispensaries would remain open for now, by a vote of 9-3, but it intends to reduce the number to no more than 70 over time.
With the possibility of raising the issue in a referendum, business owners and people taking marijuana by prescription vowed to take legal action against the ordinance. The ordinance, which will take effect after being signed by the mayor, also includes a series of new restrictions on the sale of marijuana. Between 800 and 1,000 shops have sprung up since 1996, hundreds of dispensaries in the city will close. These all sprung up thanks to legal loopholes in the sale and distribution of marijuana.
The new rules say that marijuana dispensaries will now be over 1,000 feet from libraries, public parks and schools and will now be made to close by 8pm. Allowing patients to apply for a license to purchase and sell the drug, California law stipulates physicians must have no relation with dispensaries. They can only prescribe marijuana as a therapy.
