The U.S. House of Representatives, by a vote of 268 to 148 has passed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Act of 2007. The struggle to achieve mental health parity with physical illness coverage has been going on for the last decade.
The bill is named after the late Senator Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democratic Senator who died in a plane crash in 2002. Wellstone had pushed the legislation for many years.
The Associated Press carried the following reactions to the bill:
”It’s a historic step,” said the late senator’s son, David, 42. ”It’s a civil rights bill for people with mental illnesses and chemical addiction. It forces insurance companies to treat them as they treat others.” …
The House bill was sponsored by Reps. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., who has battled depression, alcoholism and drug abuse, and Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., a recovering alcoholic who is Kennedy’s Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.
”It’s about opening up the doors and ending the shadow of discrimination against the mentally ill,” said Kennedy.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, a longtime mental health advocate, said the bill would help erase the stigma of mental illness that prevents many people from seeking treatment.
The US Senate has previously passed a weaker version of the bill. The Senate bill was sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s father, Senator Edward Kennedy and two Republicans – New Mexico Senator Pate Dominici and Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi. Senator Dominici has a daughter who has schizophrenia.
The House and Senate bill now go to conference committee. The house bill specifically says that mental illnesses and addiction disorders listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders would be covered under any plan offering mental health benefits. The Senate version is less specific and allows more variation in what would be covered.
The Bush White House opposes the House bill – even though Bush has in the past said he supported mental health parity. As usual words are easy for Bush and seem to mean little , his action and inaction tells the truth of his beliefs. Just like his inaction on global warming says more of where he is coming from than the few token utterances he has said about the need to do something about global warming. Words are cheap in the Bush White House.
see also New York Times , “House Approves Bill on Mental Health Parity“
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10 Responses to US House of Representatives Passes Landmark Mental Health Legislation
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As if the insurance companies will foot the bill. This simply limits choice and increases insurance costs for consumers. Just another mandate from the legislators who are saving us from ourselves.
It’s time for people of mental illness or dissabled to benefit from this act. This act will help to encouarage the mental illness or dissabled people to be treated farly. Dissability is not Dissability so let the act be recognised just like any other.
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Dinu
Addiction Recovery Louisiana
This case always around,But the solutions which have been taken is not tough enough.It should be more strong enough to handle this.
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Chamika
Addiction Recovery Nebraska
Sri Lanka
The Majority rules can assault the main situations in the country.let the people do talking.Addictions into drugs and alcohol are well known in these countries,but how can this stop.
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Sithara
Addiction Recovery New York
At this time the US House of Representatives has done a good work by passing this bill.
The need for this bill was feeling from a long time. This will help the peoples a lot.
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John cena
Addiction Recovery Rhode Island
A nice article about Mental Health.Thanks for posting such nice article.
Addiction Recovery Vermont
Addictions into drugs and alcohol are well known in these countries, but how can this stop. People take part to addiction and drugs banned. We should appreciate the man Who want to skip the addiction and drug.It should be more strong enough to handle this.
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Sam
http://www.addictionrecovery.net/wyoming
Patients who cannot be treated are at risk of being detained in psychiatric facilities even if there is no prospect of doctors being able to provide a health benefit to them, said the BMA today (Thursday 31 January 2008), in its response1 to the Government’s consultation on the revised draft of the 1983 Mental Health Act Code of Practice for England.
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Porshesobers
Wisconsin Drug Addiction
Hi,
This is Jones.The government should take care of the people Mental health.As they has to form a legislation to solve this problem.otherwise they has to face lot of problems in Future.
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jones9985
for information on Drug Addiction..
Wyoming Drug Addiction