Last May, Governor Don Sundquist signed legislation which ensures that insurance policies can't discriminate against treatment for mental illnesses.

The legislation prohibits most policies in Tennessee from enforcing lifetime benefit caps or other restrictions for mental illness that are not also enforced for physical illnesses and surgical procedures.

Effective in January of 2000, after rule making procedures, the legislation requires a minimum of coverage for 20 inpatient and 25 outpatient days for mental illness in a year.

The law does not mandate coverage for treatment of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence, and does not apply to small health insurance plans which cover 25 or fewer employees.

The measure also allows an insurance company to be exempt if it can prove, after 12 months of experience, that mental health services coverage results in a cost increase of more than 1 percent.

Sundquist Convenes First Summit on Tennessee's Children

Governor Don Sundquist and First Lady Martha Sundquist convened the first-ever Governor's Summit on Tennessee's Children in June to explore ways to improve the lives of children.

More than 2,500 people attended the event at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House. Five departments, which play major roles in the lives of children, joined forces for the event --Children's Services, Education, Health, Human Services and the DMHMR.

The governor announced two statewide reading initiatives. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee joins with the governor, the Department of Health and the Tennessee Pediatric Association to fund a program that provides books for mothers and children when they come for medical visits.

Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys, also a children's author and founder of the "Open a Book" Foundation, agreed to donate 300,000 books statewide to students in kindergarten through third grade. The project is in collaboration with Hambleton-Hill Publishing.

"Government can be a catalyst for involving community groups, places of worship, businesses, educators and families in making Tennessee an even better place for children."

Governor Don Sundquist

The governor also announced a new "TNKids Community Award Program" which rewards innovative communities for involvement with children. One "TNKids Community" is chosen in each grand division of the state and receives $5,000 to support its efforts.

The governor expressed the desire that government be a "catalyst for involving community groups, places of worship, businesses, educators and families in making Tennessee an even better place for children."

"Government cannot replace a strong family, nor should it. But it can look for ways to help families and it can take pains to assure that government's work reinforces the family's own," he said .

Sundquist highlighted several accomplishments that have worked to improve life for Tennessee's children.

• The extension of TennCare to every child and 18 year-old adult who cannot otherwise get health insurance protection.
• Child immunization rates are at their highest while rates of teen pregnancy and infant mortality have fallen to all-time lows.
• Programs for troubled and delinquent children have been consolidated into a new Department of Children's Services. As a result, fewer children now require state custody and more are able to get important prevention and intervention services.
• Through the Governor's Community Prevention Initiative, state grants are directed to local organizations with proven success in discouraging teen pregnancy and in keeping kids in school.
• The Basic Education Program has been fully funded, and this year, pilot programs are funded to help prepare at-risk pre-schoolers and their parents for kindergarten.
• Tennessee is the first state to connect all schools and public libraries to the Internet through the ConnecTen program.

WSMV Anchor Cynthia Williams moderated the summit which featured local, state and national children's experts and advocates.

These included author Peter Benson, Mai Bell Hurley of Chattanooga, Colorado businessman Doug Price, Tennessee's Chief Health Officer Dr. Fredia Wadley and former Tennessee House Majority Leader Bill Purcell, director of the Child and Family Policy Center at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies.

Governor Don Sundquist meets with June Palmer, president of the Tennessee Alliance for the Mentally Ill during the Summit on Tennessee's Children. The one-day event-- which featured a number of state and national children's experts and advocates--was held at the Grand Ole Opry House and attracted 2500 people.