Mental Health Bill
The mental health parity bill (SB 468) is plowing its campaign-donation-greased way through the California Senate, passing the health committee with a vote of 6-2. The bill will bump business health insurance costs by 50% to 75% because it requires companies offering health coverage to add equal coverage (“parity”) for mental health insurance.
Business owners will soon catch on. A few will shrug and eliminate health coverage altogether. Many will slash coverage for maternity, antibiotics and broken bones so they can pay for mandated mental health coverage. Others will move to one of four nearby states that wisely rejected mental health parity: Utah, Washington, Arizona and New Mexico. California raises its cost of doing business. Is SB 468 our new business emigration program? We can either call the moving vans or our store-bought legislators.
JON VON GUNTEN
Tujunga
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