[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E362-E363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PAUL WELLSTONE MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION EQUITY ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 5, 2008

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to have the following letters 
of support for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and 
Addiction Equity Act, submitted for the Record on the floor debate of 
this bill.


                                        The Betty Ford Center,

                                                Rancho Mirage, CA,
                                                    March 3, 2008.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, Capitol Building, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Republican Leader, House of Representatives, Capitol 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner: On behalf of the 
     Betty Ford Center, I am writing to express my strong support 
     for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction 
     Equity Act. This landmark legislation would prohibit 
     insurance discrimination against 80 million Americans 
     suffering from addiction and mental illness.
       I am writing because our country cannot afford the 
     continued burden of untreated addiction and mental illness. 
     Untreated addiction costs Americans $400 billion each year. 
     Moreover, each year, 1.3 billion work days are lost due to 
     mental disorders, more than arthritis, stroke, heart attack 
     and cancer combined and workers with untreated alcoholism 
     cost their employers $135 billion in lost productivity 
     annually.
       The time for the passage of parity is now. Over 25 million 
     people need mental health and addiction treatment but are not 
     getting it. Legislation to bring full equity to mental health 
     coverage has been introduced in the House in every Congress 
     since the 107th session but until this year, it never 
     received consideration in committees or on the floor despite 
     bipartisan majority cosponsorship. Now, H.R. 1424, introduced 
     by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-
     MN), has the support of the majority of the House with 273 
     cosponsors. The bill has been favorably reported by the Ways 
     and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor 
     Committees. In 2007, the Betty Ford Center was pleased to 
     join with families, providers, employers and state and local 
     officials at fourteen different field hearings held around 
     the country. These hearings documented the need for equity in 
     health plans for the treatment of addiction and mental 
     illness. The record shows parity is a priority that must be 
     passed now.
       I am hopeful the House of Representatives will pass H.R. 
     1424 this week with a strong bipartisan majority. The Betty 
     Ford Center stands ready to assist you and your colleagues in 
     the Senate in making equitable treatment for addiction and 
     mental health in health plans a reality for all Americans in 
     2008.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Mrs. Betty Ford.


                          Brain Injury Association of America,

                                        Vienna, VA, March 3, 2008.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Speaker of the House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Republican Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner: On behalf of the 
     Brain Injury Association of America, I am writing to express 
     our support for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health 
     and Addiction Equity Act, which would prohibit insurance 
     discrimination against 80 million Americans suffering from 
     addiction and mental illness.
       An intricate and intertwined relationship exists between 
     substance abuse, mental health, and traumatic brain injury 
     (TBI). Substance use and abuse is often both an antecedent to 
     and a consequence of TBI. Incidence data indicate that 
     substance abuse significantly raises an individual's risk of 
     sustaining a brain injury. TBI is one of the most common and 
     tragic consequences of substance abuse, especially by 
     teenagers and young adults. In addition, neurobehavioral 
     problems commonly arise as a direct result of TBI, and 
     psychotherapeutic services are integral to successful 
     neurorehabilitation programs. Access to comprehensive and 
     specialized addiction and mental health services is critical 
     to maximizing the recovery of individuals brain injury.
       The time for the passage of parity is now. More than 25 
     million people need mental health and addiction treatment but 
     are not getting it. Legislation to bring full equity to 
     mental health coverage has been introduced in the House in 
     every Congress since the 107th session but until this year, 
     it never received consideration in committees or on the floor 
     despite bipartisan majority cosponsorship. Note, the Paul 
     Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424), 
     introduced by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim 
     Ramstad (R-MN), has the support of the majority of the House 
     with 273 cosponsors. The bill has been favorably reported by 
     the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and 
     Labor Committees. Remarkably, 14 different field hearings 
     documenting the need for equity in health plans for the 
     treatment of addiction and mental illness were held around 
     the country in 2007. The record shows parity is a priority 
     that must be passed now.
       Because of the critical nature of this legislation, the 
     Brain Injury Association of America urges you to pass H.R. 
     1424 when it comes to the floor this week. Our organization 
     stands ready to assist you toward the goal of achieving 
     fairness in health plans for all Americans.

                                                    Sincerely,

                                                 Susan H. Connors,
                                                    President/CEO,
     Brain Injury Association of America.
                                  ____

                                    National Council for Community


                                        Behavioral Healthcare,

                                                    March 3, 2008.
     Hon. Patrick J. Kennedy,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Jim Ramstad,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representatives Kennedy and Ramstad: I am writing on 
     behalf of the National Council for Community Behavioral 
     Healthcare to urge House Members to vote YES on your bill 
     H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health & Addiction 
     Equity Act.
       Millions of American families who face structural 
     discrimination against the mental health and addiction 
     treatment benefits in their health coverage will welcome 
     passage of this legislation. It is designed to close 
     loopholes in the 1996 Federal parity law that has too often 
     been evaded. By requiring group health plans that provide 
     mental health or substance use benefits to include them 
     without different duration limits and financial requirements, 
     this legislation will help people with mental and addiction 
     disorders without a costly burden on employers.
       We hope that House passage of your strong bipartisan bill 
     will spur to completion the negotiations with the Senate on a 
     bill that can become law this year. Further delay is not 
     acceptable.
       Thank you for your leadership on this important issue.
           Sincerely,
                                        Linda Rosenberg, MSW, CSW,
     President and CEO.
                                  ____

                                               American Society of


                                           Addiction Medicine,

                                   Chevy Chase, MD, March 4, 2008.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Speaker of the House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Republican Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner: On behalf of the 
     American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), I am writing 
     to express our strong support for H.R. 1424, the Paul 
     Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. This 
     landmark legislation would prohibit insurance discrimination 
     against 80 million Americans suffering from addiction and 
     mental illness.
       ASAM's mission is to increase access to and improve the 
     quality of addiction treatment; to educate physicians 
     (including medical and osteopathic students), other health 
     care providers and the public; to support research and 
     prevention; to promote the appropriate role of the physician 
     in the care of patients with addiction; and to establish 
     addiction medicine as a specialty recognized by professional 
     organizations, governments, physicians, purchasers and 
     consumers of health care services, and the general public.
       I am writing because our country cannot afford the 
     continued burden of untreated addiction and mental illness, 
     Over 25 million people need mental health and addiction 
     treatment but are not receiving it and the costs are 
     staggering. Left untreated, addiction costs Americans $400 
     billion dollars each year. Moreover, 80 percent of trauma 
     admissions in emergency departments are alcohol and drug 
     related.
       The time for the passage of parity is now. Legislation to 
     bring all equity to mental health coverage has been 
     introduced in the House in every Congress since the 107th 
     session but until this year, it never received consideration 
     in committees or on the floor despite bipartisan majority co-
     sponsorship. Now, H.R. 1424, introduced by Reps. Patrick 
     Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN), has the support of the 
     majority of the House with 273 co-sponsors. The bill has been 
     favorably reported by the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce 
     and Education and Labor Committees. In 2007, fourteen 
     different field hearings were held around the country and 
     included testimony from employers and insurers. These 
     hearings documented the need for equity in health plans for 
     the treatment of addiction and mental illness. The record 
     shows parity is a priority that must he passed now.
       We are hopeful the House of Representatives will pass H.R. 
     1424 this week with a strong bipartisan majority. The 
     American Society of Addiction Medicine stands ready to assist 
     you toward the goal of achieving

[[Page E363]]

     access to treatment for addiction in health plans for all 
     Americans.
           Sincerely,
                                                Michael M. Miller,
     President and Board Chair.
                                  ____

                                         Suicide Prevention Action


                                                  Network USA,

                                    Washington, DC, March 3, 2008.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Speaker, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Madam Speaker and Leader Boehner: On behalf of the 
     Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA), I am 
     writing to express our support for HR 1424, the Paul 
     Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. This 
     landmark legislation would prohibit insurance discrimination 
     against 80 million Americans suffering from addiction and 
     mental illness.
       Our country cannot afford to wait to pass this legislation. 
     The cost of doing nothing to help people with their mental 
     health and addiction problems is staggering. Each year, more 
     than 31,000 individuals die by suicide and 1.3 billion work 
     days are lost due to mental health and substance abuse 
     disorders, more than arthritis, stroke, heart attack and 
     cancer combined. Moreover, workers with untreated depression 
     cost their employers $31 billion a year in lost productivity 
     and workers with untreated alcoholism cost their employers 
     $135 billion in lost productivity each year.
       The time for the passage of parity is now. Far too many 
     individuals who complete suicide have never seen a mental 
     health professional. Legislation to bring full equity to 
     mental health coverage has been introduced in the House in 
     every Congress since the 107th session but until this year, 
     it never received consideration in committees or on the floor 
     despite having over 218 bipartisan cosponsors. Now, the Paul 
     Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424), 
     introduced by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim 
     Ramstad (R-MN), has the support of the majority of the House 
     with 273 cosponsors. The bill has been favorably reported by 
     all three committees of jurisdiction. Lastly, fourteen field 
     hearings documenting the need for equity in health plans for 
     the treatment of addiction and mental illness were held in 
     2007.
       Because of the critical nature of this legislation, we 
     support passage of H.R. 1424. SPAN USA stands ready to assist 
     you toward the goal of achieving fairness in health plans for 
     all Americans.
           Sincerely,

                                    Jerry Reed, Ph.D., M.S.W.,

     Executive Director, Suicide Prevention Action Network USA.

                          ____________________