By ALEXIS GRANT, Gannett News Service
First published: Thursday, September 11, 2003

ALBANY -- Mental-health activists urged the Senate Wednesday to pass a bill that would require health insurance companies to provide more coverage for people with mental illnesses.

Supporters of the bill, dubbed "Timothy's Law" by advocates, told a Senate hearing that coverage for mental health services should be at the same level as it is for physical illnesses. Under current law, only a limited number of doctor visits are allowed for mental health patients under most insurance plans.

"How can a great state such as New York continue to allow its citizens suffering from mental illness and chemical dependency to go untreated, under-treated, and unfairly treated?" said Melissa Devine of the National Association of Social Workers.

Critics of "Timothy's Law" said that requiring insurance companies to fully cover mental illness services would drive up premiums and add to the "crisis of affordability" of insurance that already faces small business owners. The Legislature and Gov. George Pataki have added several high-profile insurance-coverage mandates in the last few years.

"It is difficult to see why the Legislature would want to pass any additional measures that would further increase premiums," said Pamela Finch of the Employer Alliance for Affordable Health Care.

"Timothy's Law" is named after 12-year-old Timothy O'Clairs of Schenectady, who committed suicide in March 2001. Like many other parents of mentally-ill children, Timothy's parents had to turn him over to the state to receive adequate treatment -- after they had exhausted all the mental-health coverage their insurance provided. That allowed him to spend seven months in a residential-treatment center before returning home. He committed suicide a few weeks later.

Mental health advocates want the Senate to pass the bill on Sept. 16 when they meet to discuss issues that were unfinished during last year's legislative session. The Assembly approved the measure earlier this year.

A spokesman for Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, who sponsors the bill, was unsure whether or not the bill would be considered at what is supposed to be a brief session next week.