(Editor’s Note: NonDoc believes in creating a responsible forum for the rational and respectful discussion of topics and ideas. As such, we run Letters to the Editors up to about 300 words and reserve the right to edit lightly for style and grammar. To submit a letter for publication, please write to letters@nondoc.com.)
Dear NonDoc editors,
When I finished reading Paul Fairchild’s eye-opening NonDoc story, “Lack of mental health parity creates ‘walking wounded’,” my first impulse was to excitedly tell as many people about it as possible, because I know his piece will make a difference in the lives of individuals and families impacted by mental illness.
Paul explained the complex issue in a way that few others could — mostly because he truly understands the nightmare people experience as they try to navigate the insurance spiderweb on their own.
There are facts in Paul’s story that countless mental health advocates will use to convince lawmakers why they must stand up and do the right thing for our state’s most vulnerable citizens.
Perhaps the most powerful of these facts is that Medicaid expansion would cover 80 percent of people with no insurance in the state’s mental health programs. Will Gov. Mary Fallin ever expand Medicaid? Only she knows. But it’s stories like Paul’s that remind us why we can never stop fighting to ensure mothers, fathers, sons and daughters can access quality, appropriate mental health treatment when they most need it so they can enjoy the many benefits of a long and lasting recovery.
Sincerely,
Matt Gleason
Content Coordinator
Mental Health Association Oklahoma
Tulsa
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