[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH PARITY

 Mr. WELLSTONE. Yesterday, President Clinton signed the VA/HUD 
appropriation bill and the Mental Health Parity amendment which was 
included in the appropriated bill into law. For all of us who worked so 
hard to achieve passage of the parity amendment, the enactment of the 
provision represented more than the insurance policy changes that the 
provision will actually require. Passage of the legislation is a symbol 
of fairness, progress and hope for millions of Americans and their 
families who, for far too long, have been victims of discrimination--
families who for far too long have been thrust into bankruptcy, or 
denied access to cost-effective treatments because their illness was a 
mental illness and not a physical illness like cancer or heart disease. 
Mental illness has, in one way or another, touched the lives of many of 
us who work here on Capitol Hill and I am pleased that the 104th 
Congress was able to take this first and very necessary step toward 
parity.
  I want to take this opportunity to say that while the passage of this 
amendment was a historic step forward for people with mental illnesses, 
the amendment was a fist step and a first step only. It does not 
require parity for copayments or deductibles or inpatient days or 
outpatient visit limits. It also does not include substance abuse 
services. My State of Minnesota has passed legislation which goes much 
further than what we were able to accomplish in this Congress. 
Minnesota requires that health plans provide full parity coverage for 
mental health and substance abuse services. The cost impact of this 
legislation in Minnesota has been minimal according to a recent study 
based on preliminary data.
  Without full parity coverage for mental health and substance abuse, 
health plans will continue to discriminate against individuals and 
families in need of services. The responsibility for and cost of care 
will continue to be shifted from the private to the public sector. For 
children and adolescents, the burden and cost of care will continue to 
be shifted to the child welfare, education, and juvenile justice 
systems. These overburdened systems are often not able to provide 
needed services, and many are forced to go without treatment. This will 
continue to be the case.
  I have seen first hand in my State at facilities like Hazelden and 
others, the benefits that drug and alcohol treatment can bring to the 
lives of millions of Americans. Alcohol and other drug addictions 
effect 10% of American adults and 3 percent of our youth. Untreated 
addition last year alone cost this Nation nearly $167 billion. 
Ultimately we all bear the cost of delays or gaps in mental health and 
substance abuse services. Sadly, that fact has not been changed by the 
passage of Senator Domenici's and my amendment.
  We have much more work to do and I look forward to consideration of 
legislation which would provide full parity coverage for mental health 
and substance abuse services. I am grateful for the advocacy, hard 
work, and compassion of the mental health and substance abuse 
community. Without them, we could not have achieved such success this 
year. This victory was made possible because families and friends of 
people struggling with mental illnesses were willing to speak out in 
public. This issue has a human face now and that made it possible to 
win votes and enact legislation.
  I look forward to continuing to work with Senators Domenici, Kennedy 
and Conrad to expand coverage for mental health and substance abuse 
services and I also want to take this moment to thank Senators Simpson 
and Kassebaum who will not be here next year but were critical in 
enabling us to take the first critical step toward parity.

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