America's Healthy Future Act of 2009 is the current healthcare bill being debated in the United States Senate. One of its stated goals is mandating mental health treatment be fully covered by health insurance companies (or by the government itself) for every American citizen. A citizen who chooses not to purchase such mandated health care coverage would be subject to yearly fines of up to $3,800 per family or $750 per individual.
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What Does It Do?
1. The bill proposes that "All health care plans provide preventative and primary care, emergency services, hospitalization, physician services, outpatient services, day surgery and related anesthesia, diagnostic imaging and screening, maternity and newborn care, pediatric services (including dental and vision), medical/surgical care, prescription drugs, radiation and chemotherapy, and mental health and substance abuse services..." [Subtitle C–Making Coverage Affordable; Benefit Options of Four Benefit Categories]
2. The bill also aims to change the status of certain drugs that are currently not included under Medicare plans. "Barbiturates will also be required to be included in Medicare for the indications of epilepsy, cancer, or chronic mental health disorder." [Part V–Medicaid Prescription Drug Coverage; Change the Status of Some Excludable Drugs]
3. The bill would increase payments made for certain Medicare mental health services by five percent. [Subtitle B–Improving Medicare For Patients And Providers–Part 1–Extension of Payment Adjustment for Medicare Mental Health Services]
4. The bill would extend grants "to States to increase the delivery of mental health services or other health services deemed necessary to meet the needs of veterans..." [Part IV–Strengthening Primary Care And Other Workforce Improvements]
5. The bill will punish individuals for not maintaining government-approved health insurance. "The consequence of not maintaining insurance would be an excise tax. If a taxpayer's adjusted gross income is between 100-300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, the excise tax for failing to obtain coverage for an individual is $750." [Subtitle D–Shared Responsibility–Excise Tax]
Where Does It Stand?
This bill is currently (September 30, 2009) undergoing extensive debate in the Senate Finance Committee. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) would like the full Senate to take up debate on the bill during the week of October 12, 2009.
Who Sponsors It?
The bill was introduced by Democrat Senator Max Baucus of Montana on September 22, 2009.
Who Is The Sponsor?
Max Baucus has been a Montana Senator since 1978 and is the seventh longest-serving as of 2009.
Baucus has come under criticism for becoming one of the biggest beneficiaries of campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries. From 2003 to 2008, Baucus received $3,973,485 from the health sector, including $852,813 from pharmaceutical companies. A 2006 study found that between 1999 and 2005, Baucus, along with former Senate majority leader Bill Frist, took in the most special-interest money of any senator. Several of Baucus' ex-staffers with whom he is still close, are now working for the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries.
In response to the questions raised by the large amount of funding Senator Baucus took from the health care industry, Senator Baucus declared a moratorium as of July 1, 2009 on taking more special interest money from health care political action committees.
In April 2009, The Associated Press reported that Baucus and his wife, the former Wanda Minge, are divorcing after 25 years of marriage.
