Three mental-health bills become law

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 30, 2007 at midnight

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Colorado’s mental health community cheered today as Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law three measures that mental health advocates say were a long time coming.

"Hooray!" said Jeanne Rohner, president of the Mental Health Association of Colorado. "At one time, we couldn’t even get these kinds of bills out of committee."

One measure, Senate Bill 36, expands the current list mental illnesses eligible to be covered by health insurance from six to 15. The expanded list now includes eating disorders and post traumatic stress disorders, which Ritter said is critical with soldiers returning from Iraq.

"Left untreated, mental-health disorders ruin lives, destroy families and wreck careers," Gov. Ritter said. "They overburden the criminal justice system and lead to hundreds of suicides every year.

"From a business perspective, mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the United States. It costs Colorado businesses millions of dollars in lost productivity and increased health-care premiums every year."

Psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, kids with mental illnesses and their parents looked on as Ritter signed the bills in a ceremony at the state Capitol.

Also watching was First Lady Jeannie Ritter, who thrilled the mental health community by deciding to take up their cause when her husband was elected governor last November.

Advocates also praised Sen. Moe Keller, D-Wheat Ridge, and Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, who have pushed for mental health issues for years.

"It was not easy," Keller said, getting this year’s bills helped.

Backers negotiated with businesses and insurance providers on what illnesses were to be covered by health insurance.

Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, said he got involved when it was apparent that Senate Bill 36 was in trouble in the House.

Some lawmakers wanted eating disorders stripped from the bill, which Buescher fought against. He said he can think of no mental health issue that is more life threatening than an eating disorder.

Ritter also signed Senate Bill 230, which expands services available to children needing mental health treatment, and House Bill 1057, which addresses the mental-health care needs of kids in the juvenile justice system.

Darcy Callies, 42, of Lakewood, called Wednesday "a great day in Colorado."

She said two of her children suffer mental illnesses, and she could not afford to give them the proper care. She said she had to quit her job and go on assistance so her children were eligible for treatment.

And Juan Chapel, 51, of Denver, said he has been homeless several times in the past because he couldn’t afford to treat his depression and bi-polar disease.

"I think this is a huge step forward," he said.

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