States in Brief
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* Donya Currie

## Oregon mental health parity law successful

Oregon’s comprehensive mental health parity law has improved coverage without substantial cost increases, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in the *American Journal of Psychiatry*.

The law bans commercial health plans from putting limits on mental health and substance abuse services that are not also imposed on medical-surgical services. The study’s lead author said the Oregon law, considered the most comprehensive state parity law, is particularly relevant in gauging potential impacts of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, a federal law that took effect in July 2010. The study compared expenditures for commercially insured individuals in four Oregon health plans from 2005–2008 and a matched group of insured people who were exempt from parity.

“Oregon’s law is a very close analog to the new federal parity law, specifically in the way that it restricted plans from aggressively managing the behavioral health benefit,” said study author K. John McConnell, PhD, a health economist at Oregon Health and Science University.

While the concern was that a parity law would increase spending, McConnell said the expected spending growth didn’t materialize.

## Hospital-associated infections reduced

Wisconsin hospitals participating in a voluntary infection prevention project have achieved significant reductions in health care associated infections, state health officials said.

![Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/https://www.thenationshealth.org/content/nathealth/41/9/15.2/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://www.thenationshealth.org/content/41/9/15.2/F1)

Wisconsin hospitals have reduced hospital-associated infections with a new project.

Photo courtesy Nicole Waring, iStockphoto

The first report of the Wisconsin Healthcare-Associated Infections Prevention Project found a 33 percent drop among reporting hospitals for central line-associated bloodstream infections in 2009 and a 26 percent drop the following year. If a central line, which is a tube placed in a large vein of a patient’s neck or chest to provide medication, is not inserted properly or kept clean, bacteria can enter the body and cause a serious and sometimes deadly bloodstream infection.

About 60 Wisconsin hospitals participate in the project, which is a public-private partnership begun in 2009. Health care-associated infections are a national problem, linked to 2 million yearly cases and 100,000 yearly deaths.

Learn more about the Wisconsin program at [www.dhs.wisconsin.gov](http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov).

## Utah plan aims to stop sexual violence

A new plan from the Utah Department of Health released in August seeks to prevent sexual violence, a serious concern in the state where one in three women reported experiencing some type of sexual assault in their lifetime.

“Our vision is that Utah will one day be free from violence, and all residents will interact with each other in a healthy and respectful manner,” said Teresa Brechlin, the health department’s violence prevention coordinator.

Effective prevention programs already working in the state include Safe Dates, a school-based program that has resulted in an up to 92 percent reduction in reports of violence among participants. Rape Prevention Coalitions in two counties have forged strong community partnerships and provided peer-to-peer and youth leadership to thousands of students. The plan’s action steps include enhancing social and community support.

The Utah Sexual Violence Primary Prevention Plan, 2010–2017, is at [http://health.utah.gov](http://health.utah.gov).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association