Posted on 06/21/2004 10:19:15 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
President Bush plans to unveil next month a sweeping mental health initiative that recommends screening for every citizen and promotes the use of expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs favored by supporters of the administration.
The New Freedom Initiative, according to a progress report, seeks to integrate mentally ill patients fully into the community by providing "services in the community, rather than institutions," the British Medical Journal reported.
Critics say the plan protects the profits of drug companies at the expense of the public.
The initiative began with Bush's launch in April 2002 of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which conducted a "comprehensive study of the United States mental health service delivery system."
The panel found that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and recommended comprehensive mental health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children.
The commission said, "Each year, young children are expelled from preschools and childcare facilities for severely disruptive behaviors and emotional disorders."
Schools, the panel concluded, are in a "key position" to screen the 52 million students and 6 million adults who work at the schools.
The commission recommended that the screening be linked with "treatment and supports," including "state-of-the-art treatments" using "specific medications for specific conditions."
The Texas Medication Algorithm Project, or TMAP, was held up by the panel as a "model" medication treatment plan that "illustrates an evidence-based practice that results in better consumer outcomes."
The TMAP -- 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 -- also was praised by the American Psychiatric Association, which called for increased funding to implement the overall plan.
But the Texas project sparked controversy when a Pennsylvania government employee revealed state officials with influence over the plan had received money and perks from drug companies who stand to gain from it.
Allen Jones, an employee of the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General says in his whistleblower report the "political/pharmaceutical alliance" that developed the Texas project, which promotes the use of newer, more expensive antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, was behind the recommendations of the New Freedom Commission, which 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."
Jones points out, according to the British Medical Journal, companies that helped start the Texas project are major contributors to Bush's election funds. Also, some members of the New Freedom Commission have served on advisory boards for these same companies, while others have direct ties to TMAP.
Eli Lilly, manufacturer of olanzapine, one of the drugs recommended in the plan, has multiple ties to the Bush administration, BMJ says. The elder President Bush was a member of Lilly's board of directors and President Bush appointed Lilly's chief executive officer, Sidney Taurel, to the Homeland Security Council.
Of Lilly's $1.6 million in political contributions in 2000, 82 percent went to Bush and the Republican Party.
Another critic, Robert Whitaker, journalist and author of "Mad in America," told the British Medical Journal that while increased screening "may seem defensible," it could also be seen as "fishing for customers."
Exorbitant spending on new drugs "robs from other forms of care such as job training and shelter program," he said.
However, a developer of the Texas project, Dr. Graham Emslie, 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."
It looks like that's the picture. I don't know how much the "benefit the drug companies" plays into it (I'm only part way into the documentation), but so far, I can tell you that it does lay the groundwork for everyone being screened.
I can easily forsee a day in the near future in which our health insurers will mandate "routine screening" as a condition of continued coverage -- and, and automatic "referral" for anyone "irrational" enough to refuse such a reasonable requirement, at the cost of losing their coverage.
Think that's a stretch? Try standing up for your legal rights to avoid "participating" in the HIPAA travesty and see what kind of crap you get. Hell, try refusing to hand over your SSN to a medi-man whose desk troll insists that "our computer needs it."
I have literally had to walk out of one office when they flat out refused to see me when I flat out refused to give them my SSN.
So far, all I've got is funny looks when I refuse to comply with HIPAA. It probably doesn't hurt that I've done my homework and march in with some forms of my own that give them the releases they need to speak with my wife and anyone I need to have records shared with.
We are headed toward something ugly in this country. And there is a frighteneng mass of humanity -- probably a critical mass -- who are all too glad to go with the flow, because "Bush is our Friend", and, "It can't happen here!"
Screw Car 54. George Santayana, where are you?
I simply do not believe that President Bush has put forth a proposal to have compulsory psychiatric screening for the entire 300 million citizens of this country, and then forcibly medicate those who don't measure up with drugs from companies supposedly financially friendly to him.
Some people apparently do, though...
Naw, never in a million years. If they had tried it, the "conservative base" would have raised holy hell over it.
You can stop any time you want. Would you like a referral? It might help.
Why because teachers have to actually do their job and teach.
Was your mother frightened by a rational thought while she was carrying you?
Get back with me when you can carry out your part of a rational discussion, eh?
No thank you, I don't go to quacks whose basic prescription is tin foil.
Look up the word "implicit" some time.
Just highlighting this important piece of info....since the regular crowd of groupthink cheerleaders seem to be ignoring it. I know it pisses me off. This is big big bucks were talking about here. Lilly's atypical anti-psychotic, Prozac (Fluoxetine), depending on who is buying it can go for $5 to $8 a pill. Again...the government should stay out of healthcare...except for taking care its Veterans and its Military.
Perfect NEW SPEAK
No, because they put retarded kids into "Advanced Computers", and other insanity like that.
Good grief, you really don't know what you're talking about, you don't know me, you don't know my wife, but still you rage on, attacking her.
Hell, why don't YOU try teaching "advanced computers" to retarded kids and get back with me. For that matter, see how you do with the REST of the class when it's peppered with disrupters that NCLB parks there for you.
Just made the rational thought that your wife(a teacher) is on the same side of Ted Kennedy and the teachers unions in that they don't like the no child left behind act.
And I made the conclusion that the reason they don't like it, is because accountability in schools is now required.
I have avoided giving information by simply putting N/A in any boxes I don't want to fill out. As far as using the SSN as an identifier, when it's health care, I give it. Reason being, in my state there is another couple with our names born the same year we were. How do I know? I've gotten her prescription records by accident, when I requested mine from the chain pharmacy. She's one sick kitty. I am not. ;-D
Once diagnosed....there go many of your rights....
How do you take away rights....just get one of your Orwellian mental health 'professionals' to
issue a diagnosis...consistent with the law needed to take away those rights....
Do you believe you can read this document?
Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America
You just asked THE important question.
That's not what I'm saying. What I said was, in essence, that conservatives seem to have this head-in-the-sand blindness when it comes to these kinds of all-encompassing federal programs. My point was that another example already existed of a federal program that very few conservatives back in 1998-2000 thought was going to fly.
I'm still reading about the details of No Loony Left Behind. The details are important, but my major concern was that people here reading about this *didn't want to believe it at first.* That to me is *why* these incredible boondoggles keep getting imposed on us - a supposedly "conservative" administration floats them, and Republicans in Congress vote for them. Meanwhile, the conservative supporters of Bush, who are exhorted relentlessly to support the administration no matter what, once again get blindsided by realpolitik.
But maybe I've missed it. Since you're so familiar with the report, can you please cite the reference to screening everyone?
Also, I see this is a report to the President. Do we know if/how he has responded? Has he indicated that he wishes to implement any of the recommendations?
Drug companies need a windfall BUMP.
Once again, you don't know me, you don't know my wife, and it pisses me off that you attack her, and accuse her of siding with the union and teddie.
I'd say how I REALLY feel, except I do not wish to get kicked off of FR. So, I'll merely express my wish to run into you some time in real life. Alone.
I made the conclusion that the reason they don't like it, is because accountability in schools is now required.
GFYS.
"I simply do not believe that President Bush has put forth a proposal to have compulsory psychiatric screening for the entire 300 million citizens of this country, and then forcibly medicate those who don't measure up with drugs from companies supposedly financially friendly to him."
I haven't been able to read through the whole thread, but that was my initial reaction to the article. It's an astoundingly intrusive proposal and I cannot believe it's real.
The source is World Net Daily, which at times can be sensationalistic.
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