scary stuff---bush is insane

[Anonymous]

The new issue of the *British Medical Journal* (June 19, vol. 328, page 1458) includes an article "Bush plans to screen whole US population for mental illness" by Jeanne Lenzer.

In light of the prohibition against posting copyrighted articles on this list, here are a few excerpts:

[begin excerpts]

A sweeping mental health initiative will be unveiled by President George W Bush in July.  The plan promises to integrate mentally ill patients fully into the community by providing "services in the community, rather than institutions," according to a March 2004 progress report titled New Freedom Initiative
().

While some praise the plan's goals, others say it protects the profits of drug companies at the expense of the public.

Bush established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health in April 2002 to conduct a "comprehensive study of the United States ental health service delivery system."  The commission issued its recommendations in July 2003.
Bush instructed more than 25 federal agencies to develop an implementation plan based on those recommendations.

The president's commission found that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and recommended comprehensive mental
health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children.



Schools, wrote the commission, are in a "key position" to screen the 52 million students and 6 million adults who work at the schools.

The commission also recommended "Linkage [of screening] with treatment and supports" including "state-of-the-art treatments" using "specific medications for specific conditions."  The commission commended the
Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) as a "model" medication treatment plan
that "illustrates an evidence-based practice that results in better consumer outcomes."

Dr Darrel Regier, director of research at the American Psychiatric Association (APA), lauded the president's initiative and the Texas project
model saying, "What's nice about TMAP is that this is a logical plan based on efficacy data from clinical trials."



But the Texas project, which promotes the use of newer, more expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, sparked off controversy when
Allen Jones, an employee of the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General, revealed that key officials with influence over the medication plan in his state received money and perks from drug companies with a stake in the medication algorithm (15 May, p1153).  He was sacked this week for speaking to the BMJ and the New York Times.

The Texas project started in 1995 as an alliance of individuals from the pharmaceutical industry, the University of Texas, and the mental health
and corrections systems of Texas.  The project was funded by a Robert Wood Johnson grant-and by several drug companies.

Mr Jones told the BMJ that the same "political/pharmaceutical alliance"
that generated the Texas project was behind the recommendations of the New Freedom Commission, which, according to his whistleblower report, were
"poised to consolidate the TMAP effort into a comprehensive national policy to treat mental illness with expensive, patented medications of
questionable benefit and deadly side effects, and to force private insurers to pick up
more of the tab"
(http://psychrights.org/Drugs/AllenJones ... uary20.pdf).

Larry D Sasich, research associate with Public Citizen in Washington, DC, told the BMJ that studies in both the United States and Great Britain suggest that "using the older drugs first makes sense. There's nothing in the labeling of the newer atypical antipsychotic drugs that suggests they are superior in efficacy to haloperidol [an older "typical" antipsychotic].
There has to be an enormous amount of unnecessary expenditures for the newer drugs."



Olanzapine (trade name Zyprexa), one of the atypical antipsychotic drugs recommended as a first line drug in the Texas algorithm, grossed
$4.28bn...worldwide in 2003 and is Eli Lilly's top selling drug. A 2003 New York Times
article by Gardiner Harris reported that 70% of olanzapine sales are paid for by government agencies, such as Medicare and Medicaid.



But Dr Graham Emslie, who helped develop the Texas project, defends screening: "There are good data showing that if you identify kids at an
earlier age who are aggressive, you can intervene... and change their trajectory."

[end excerpts]


The BMJ article is online at .

[Anonymous]

My question is once a person is diagnosed with any illness and for whatever reason (ie unemployment etc) looses their insurance the condition is then pre-existing. Meaning the subsequent insurance company will not pay for the treatment of or prescriptions of said illness. Has anyone heard how they plan to address this?

[Anonymous]

i am not sure about this, but does pre-existing conditions apply to mental illnesses? or to diseases for that matter? if it's something that can potentially never be cured, how can they punish you for having the problem before you were insured. maybe someone knows more about what sorts of things preexisting conditions really applies to. What bothers me about all of this is that think of how many kids will be on drugs, forced to be on drugs. i wonder how many kids with no problems will be put on them and what about drugs that havent even been around long enough to see the long term effects?

[Antigen]

On 2004-06-22 13:15:00, Anonymous wrote:

"My question is once a person is diagnosed with any illness and for whatever reason (ie unemployment etc) looses their insurance the condition is then pre-existing. Meaning the subsequent insurance company will not pay for the treatment of or prescriptions of said illness. Has anyone heard how they plan to address this? "

Well, if history is any instructor, the insurance lobby will make a big stink about the elevated cost of treating the newly diagnosed crop of loons, thereby justifying a rate hike. Meanwhile, those people will wind up on public assistance and the insurance execs will build another castle in downtown Pittsburgh.

As your attorney, it is my duty to inform you that it is not important that you understand what I'm doing or why you're paying me so much money.  What's important is that you continue to do so.
--Hunter S. Thompson's Samoan Attorney

[GregFL]

On 2004-06-23 15:54:00, Antigen wrote:




Well, if history is any instructor, the insurance lobby will make a big stink about the elevated cost of treating the newly diagnosed crop of loons, thereby justifying a rate hike. Meanwhile, those people will wind up on public assistance and the insurance execs will build another castle in downtown Pittsburgh.

"

YAHOO!!!!!

 :grin: [ This Message was edited by: GregFL on 2004-06-23 16:28 ]

[85 Day Jerk]

The Americans with Disabilities Act has provisions that deal with that sort of issue.  Insurance cannot deny CURRENTLY prescribed medications.  Nor does it delve into the relm of "Pre-existing" disorders.  A disorder is a disorder regardless.  There are no time limits in crazyland, only qualified therapists and doctors who make a sound diagnosis.  In my case, the ball was dropped on many an occasion, and it was not until I was 25 years old, and responsable for my own life, that a correct and thorough diagnosis was made on my behalf.

This saved the School Board, State of Florida, United States Army, HRS, and others countless thousands of dollars while I squandered my youth working for dead end Temporary Services and being among the newly stamped "working poor" all so Ronald Reagan could defeat the Evil Empire.  At least I got over it, but I will step in and shout out my two cents worth from time to time.  I hope this was of some help for you folks.

[Antigen]

On 2004-06-23 16:27:00, GregFL wrote:


YAHOO!!!!!



 :grin:

Uh, dear friend, by "insurance exec", I mean those ppl who perennially make and break folks like you. Sorry. If I were you, I'd just get off the merry-go-round and sell when the market is buying. :wink:

Where powers are assumed which have not been delegated, a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy.
http://laissezfairebooks.com/product.cfm?op=view&pid=FF7485&aid=10247' target='_new'>Thomas Jefferson: Kentucky Resolutions, 1798

[Anonymous]

American 'mental illness" homeless problem is because of ALCOHOL abuse.Also visit Russia,in Moscow these homeless are drunkards.And in South Korea too.Here in China I see MANY homeless peasents in these cities,and horrible disfiguring diseases,and these people are "beggars".Although there are plenty of drunkards here,most of these "homeless" have physical disabilities and are not the typical American style drunkards.In the programs there were a small percentage of these "teen alcoholics".Americans are a bunch of drunkards drinking lots of cheap low quality beers and they are NOT "mental illness' types.Its just another imagined way for them to control us.
Try and get your earwax cleaned out when you have no money,THEY SEND YOU TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM and some guy digs wax out of your ear for $300 per minute!!!