Proposal for new pharmacy fees, rules threaten mental health care access

For decades, mental health was swept under the rug, as stigma kept people from seeking help and high costs and unnecessary barriers kept people from life-saving care. In recent years, we’ve finally made progress, as advocates challenge stigma and open doors to treatment for the millions of Illinoisans who experience mental health concerns every year.

Yet it still takes 11 years before most people seek treatment; think of a 14-year-old who doesn’t get treatment for a schizophrenia diagnosis till they are 25. We have a long way to go.

There are many ways care is hindered, even if unintentionally. One example is HB 4548, which passed a key committee last year and was re-introduced this year as HB 1159. The bill is written in ways that reverse progress by imposing new restrictions on pharmacy benefits and tacking an extra $10.49 fee onto all prescription drugs.

Why does this matter to mental health? Out of 486,000 Illinoisans who needed but did not receive mental health care in 2021, over 33% did not get help because of the cost. Adding yet another fee and increasing the cost of care will only exacerbate a crisis at a time we need to make life-saving medications more accessible and affordable.

Similarly, many people with serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia rely on specialty pharmacies that carry drugs not stocked at most pharmacies and dispensed by pharmacists who are specially trained to ensure safe treatment. While today’s medications are more effective than ever, the biggest obstacle to recovery remains inconsistent or non-compliant usage. Limiting access to specialized treatment that ensures proper care does not make sense.

Mental health is an issue both Republicans and Democrats agree is a priority. We urge them to address the issue with the seriousness and complexity it deserves. As lawmakers continue their work in Springfield this year, we urge them to reject any bills like HB1159 that raise prescription drug costs or remove the safeguards that ensure that medication is safe, accessible and effective.

Andy Wade, mental health advocate, Rogers Park

Donald Trump and antisemitism

The U.S. State Department's working definition of antisemitism is, "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."

Rather than going after low-hanging fruit like the Ku Klux Klan, skinheads and/or the Aryan Nation, Donald Trump's focus is on a man who is a green card holder and married to a U.S. citizen, and who appeared on Trump's radar by merely exercising his First Amendment right to free speech by participating in pro-Palestinian protests.

Why would the Justice Department go after this one man rather than the rather large hate groups who are not shy about publicly sharing their views of Jews?

Would he really bypass going after the easy pickings because a lot of those groups' members vote for him and because his base would be thrilled to see him deport a vile foreigner? Could it be that simple?

Brian Collins, Orland Park

Baseball’s glory of yore

I'm having another kind of senior moment now, triggered by baseball's Opening Day being three weeks earlier than when I began primary school. I flash on a 154-game season without playoffs, and every campaign wrapping in early October. And the first expansion teams with periodic additions ultimately almost doubling 1960s total of 16. And the Sox pioneering names on uniforms that year.

Recollecting more developments of varying import, I note the amateur draft, designated hitters, free agency, artificial turf, batting gloves, batting helmets with earflaps, high-tech scoreboards, Wrigley Field lights, managerial use of sophisticated statistical measures, ankle-length uniform pants, and hitter and pitcher clocks. Baseball sure isn't what it once was.

Or all it was either. Basketball and football have overtaken "the national pastime" after standing for decades as subordinates. Time was when most Chicago parks centered around a diamond, and many forest preserve groves contained a backstop. And grade schools had strike zones for fast pitch pickup games, marked on walls facing the playground. Marathon summer contests frequently utilized these, along with vacant grounds and empty parking lots, the latter with painted horizontal bases denoting the infield.

But these are all faded images nowadays, and I don't live for the game anymore as in childhood either. But I know millions of fans continue to vigorously support it. And that love affair will start heating up again for the first wave of them with the Dodgers/Cubs opener on Tuesday — in Tokyo.

Tom Gregg, Niles

Putting political loyalty over critical thinking

I often find it surprising when exceptionally bright individuals express such unexpected political views. It's especially intriguing when those with advanced degrees from prestigious universities hold these opinions. I sometimes feel hesitant to share my thoughts with them, as they tend to passionately defend their distinctive perspectives.

It's important to remember that merely possessing additional knowledge doesn't necessarily validate one's positions. When engaging in debates on various topics, don't let the brilliance of others intimidate you. Sometimes, those who prioritize party loyalty over critical thinking may forfeit the intellectual advantage they could otherwise achieve.

Scott T. Thompson, Bloomington, Indiana

Elon’s angle

Elon Musk and his team have not exposed any corruption, fraud or waste; to do so would take months of evaluation and auditing. Musk is acting like a bull in a china shop, not someone seriously looking for anything but a way to enrich himself.

Eileen Sandalow, Wilmette