The National Coalition is a grass-roots organization whose sole issue is to address the problems of managed mental health care. It exposes managed care abuses, promotes regulating managed care, and ultimately supports replacing managed care with a more pro-consumer mental health system. The National Coalition's members include mental health professionals from all disciplines, consumers and consumer advocates

What does the National Coalition do?

• Works behind the scenes to create exposés about managed care on the major networks, in the news magazines, and in major newspapers. Its media accomplishments include major contributions to reports that appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, and Business Week and on "60 Minutes" and "Nightline."
• Builds coalitions and coordinates activities with dozens of consumer advocacy and professional organizations.
• Writes articles exposing managed care problems and recommending solutions.
• Writes model legislation (Consumer Right to Know Legislation), analyzes legislation, lobbies, develops a legislative agenda, joins in legislative coalitions, and disseminates Legislative Action Alerts.
• Examines legal strategies, assists in developing class action lawsuits, and lobbies for regulatory reform.
• Encourages mental health professional organizations to take anti-managed care actions and pro-consumer positions.
• Educates members through its bimonthly newsletter and its annual educational and lobbying kit.
• Promotes developing pro-consumer alternatives to managed care. Two innovative alternatives developed by National Coalition members are the American Mental Health Alliance and Managed Cooperation. It encourages experiments with single payer systems, medical savings accounts, autonomous care, and other systems.

• Advocates to replace managed care with a pro-consumer mental health care system.

What new activities does the National Coalition plan to add in the future?

Develop mental health insurance action lines for consumers. Help consumers protect themselves from managed care fraud and abuse. Expose the efforts to conceal managed care's abuses with superficial legislation.

Why do people join?

• To save quality mental health services from the destructive actions of the managed care industry

• To protect their families and other consumers from the abuses of managed care.
• To stand up for professional integrity and professional ethics.
• To act as a voice for the many silent victims of managed mental health care.

• To preserve patient privacy, choice and decision-making power.

The National Coalition is doing well in the battle with Goliath. It has begun waking America up to the problems in managed mental health care through media exposés, mobilizing professional organizations, and educating legislators. The National Coalition is a major force exposing the abuses in managed mental health care, and it is the loudest and clearest voice. It has made a difference, and it plans to continue until managed care is replaced by a better system.

If I am a professional whose income has fallen drastically, why should I give money to the National Coalition?

Most mental health professionals are suffering financially, and many have left the field. In California, where managed care was established first., professionals are finding that under managed care, the quality of services continuously decline. Your income will keep falling until managed carre is stopped. Dollar for dollar, the National Coalition is the most effective organization in stopping the takeover of mental health by managed care. You can't afford NOT to support the National Coalition.

I must work for some managed care companies in order to survive. Won't joining the Coalition endanger my employment?

Most of the Coalition's members do some managed care work and are motivated to join the National Coalition because of their experience with managed care. The National Coalition is aware of the concern that managed care will retaliate against professionals if they speak out or belong to an organization that criticizes managed care. To protect the members, the National Coalition's mailing list is NEVER given to anyone.

If I give money to my professional organization to address managed care issues, should I also join the National Coalition?

Your professional group is powerful, but cannot lead in the battle for several reasons: annual changes in leadership undermine continuity; the pro-managed care members can filibuster and delay effective action; these organizations are large bureaucracies that move very slowly; and professional groups are reluctant to form interdisciplinary alliances. Because the National Coalition is an activist organization with one issue and all of its members oppose managed care, it can be consistent, strong, and decisive. It can react and develop positions more quickly than professional organizations. Because it is based on interdisciplinary cooperation, it can coordinate its work with other groups. The National Coalition has provided the clear voice that has led the baffle against managed care, and it needs your support.

If I can join only one organization, should it be the National Coalition?

If I am a consumer, should I join?

We must stop corporations from manipulating our personal health care. The National Coalition is fighting to help consumers regain the right to consult privately with a professional of their choice and the right to control the treatment of their own minds and bodies.

Shouldn't we figure out a better system before we criticize managed care?

One of the roadblocks to stopping managed care has been the argument that we must all agree on the best system before opposing managed care. Managed care is, without a doubt, the worst system. It must be stopped now while we respectfully debate the many alternatives that are promoted by the National Coalition.

I don't want to be against something. Can't the Coalition be for something?

The National Coalition stands for many positive principles: preserving patient privacy, cooperation between consumers & professionals, disclosure for corporations, universal access to mental health services, fully portable coverage, choice, consumer control of decision making, cost containment, high quality care, and professional ethics.

Can't someone in government, some strong group, or some powerful person help?

Managed care is so wealthy that its lobbyists and money are everywhere. Many of the established powers are either influenced or frightened by the power of the managed care industry. Only a populist, grass-roots, pro-consumer movement can correct the situation. We must join together to create that movement.

I have read that managed care will get better with regulation. Is it still necessary to fight it?

Since the beginning of managed care, the industry has declared that with time, it will overcome its problems and improve. Yet, there is no history of managed care getting better, it only gets worse. The proposed solutions for managed care all involve more extensive management-more regulation, more outcome studies, and more bureaucracies. What we need is more extensive care. The problem is in the managed care system which takes away the consumer's rights to choice, privacy and decision- making power. We must replace managed care with a pro-patient system.

How can I help the National Coalition?

As an activist organization the National Coalition's effectiveness results from active support through memberships, money and volunteer time. If you can volunteer, please let us know on the membership application.

Isn't $100 for dues a lot of money?

 The expenses of running a national activist organization are enormous: mailings to members and legislators, travel expenses for meetings and lobbying, long distance phone bills for national networking, printing costs, and salaries for staff. One hundred dollars is the suggested dues; however, because we want everyone to join with us in the battle, dues, in lesser amounts are gratefully accepted. Larger contributions will give us even greater power. Please remember, we are like National Public Radio--unless you contribute--we cannot broadcast our message.
When you become a member of the National Coalition, you will receive the Mental Health Consumer Protection Manual and the bimonthly newsletter, the Coalition Report

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