| AP |
Even as Rosalynn Carter was on the Hill Wednesday to drum up support for the Democrats’ mental health parity bill, Republicans were arguing that if it passes, taxpayers might be on the hook for conditions like “caffeine intoxication.”
House GOPers say the bill, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Mass., mandates too many conditions that would qualify for coverage.
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The bill would require that health plans cover all the conditions listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Published by American Psychiatric Association, the manual’s most recent version, from 1994, includes 297 disorders. Among them: jet lag, transvestic fetishism, exhibitionism, separation anxiety, “elimination disorders,” “caffeine-induced sleep disorder,” “caffeine intoxication,” hypochondria and performance disorders specific to the male sex.
“If you ask a House Democrat, any American feeling tired after a transcontinental flight or finishing up their morning coffee has a mental problem and is in dire need of mandated medical assistance,” said Republican Study Committee spokesman Brad Dayspring. “Perhaps the time has come to investigate what seems to be becoming a very serious and real mental disorder — being a member of the House Democrat Caucus.”
The claims can’t be “frivolous,” countered Kennedy spokeswoman Robin Costello, and they “must merit a definition of ‘medical necessity’ by a physician and an insurer.”
