In Reforming Our Health Care System, We'd Be Crazy to Ignore the Mind

Last year, a bill I introduced called the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act became law. On that day, a monumental victory was achieved for the over 25% of Americans who no longer have to face discrimination from their insurers when it comes to their mental health care. That day was a victory for Americans everywhere, as a civil rights gap was closed in this country, and a long standing form of discrimination was ended. I am proud to say that this victory was expounded upon in the health care reform bill currently before the House of Representatives. It is clear that the 113 million Americans with mental illnesses whose coverage was improved by mental health parity were heard loud and clear with the passage of mental health parity -- discrimination will no longer be tolerated, and our minds can no longer be treated as separate from our bodies.

The health care reform proposal currently being debated in the House of Representatives expands the mental health parity protections to the newly created Exchange plans, regardless of plan size. Further, the House bill mandates that mental health and substance use disorder benefits be included in the essential benefits package of all qualified health plans. In a country where less than a third of people with mental illnesses get the care they need, and individuals with serious mental illness have a life expectancy of 25 years less than the general population, this victory is one which cannot go understated. It is because of the precedent set by the mental health parity law, fortifying the civil rights of those with mental illnesses, that lead to this clear recognition by the bill that optimal health cannot be achieved without the inclusion of mental health and substance-use disorder services. I am pleased to have worked with House leadership and the Committees to have accomplished this victory.

I am also proud to have successfully worked on an amendment with my colleagues to ensure that screening for mental health and substance-use disorders are covered as a preventative service under this bill. Addiction, just like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, is a preventable and treatable chronic disease. Utilizing screening as a preventative, pro-active tool of medicine to detect mental illness and drug and alcohol use helps identify at-risk populations so we can intervene early and thereby significantly reduce the incidence of these diseases among Americans. Screening is an effective way to alleviate needless suffering while saving health care dollars. It is true representation of the transition from the current "sick-care" system to one which is patient-centered, collaborative, and focused on prevention and cost-savings.

These successes cannot be over emphasized, yet I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that we make even further strides. I am currently advocating for the inclusion of education and training on mental health and substance-use disorders for all health care providers, so they are better equipped to provide whole-body care to all Americans. Given the shortage of pediatric and adolescent mental health providers in our country, I am also working to ensure that the loan repayment and grants portions of my Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act that will help enhance this crucial component of our nation's health care workforce are included in the House bill, as they were in the Senate. 

I will continue to work with my colleagues to institute these critical changes to our nation's health care system, fighting to ensure that all Americans receive the care they need. In a nation where life and the pursuit of happiness are the central tenants of our very foundation, our citizens deserve nothing less.

 

Comments

[ladycubsfan]

03:45 PM on 07/22/2009

The Republican party is the poster child for the need for quality mental health services. In our wildest dreams, we couldn't fabricate what they're spewing. Bachmann, Buchannan, Beck, Hannity, Coulter, Cheney (s), Limbaugh, Palin, and so many others too numerous and depressing to mention. They open their mouths and CRAZY comes out. They don't even have to try. If we want mental health reform, we need to start using these people as examples. Just pick a clip, any clip, of them talking nonsense and people will rush to support mental health care. It should be a snap.

[Obama2008]

03:34 PM on 07/22/2009

Well done Rep. Kennedy!

Thank you.

[UniversalMH]

01:31 PM on 07/22/2009

It is gratifying to see that Congressio­nal leaders understand the need to include full coverage of mental health and substance use disorders in the health reform package. Failure to do so would doom health reform, as unaddresse­d mental health needs drive up costs and exacerbate many costly chronic conditions­.

Thanks, Patrick, for your tireless efforts to educate your colleagues (and many others) about the benefits of fully integratin­g the treatment and prevention of mental health and substance use disorders in the new healthcare system.

[Ventoi]

12:41 PM on 07/22/2009

The Free dictionary explains that a stigma can be 'a mark or a token of infamy, disgrace or reproach'

Something having been marked as being infamous (evil fame or reputation­), or something that is disgraced, or punished for bringing shame, will, of course NOT be seen as being worthy of treatment, subsidised or free treatment, in particular­.

Using words like shame and evil, the discussion turns to ethics, I guess, if I am an alcholic, do I deserve the donated liver at all, or as much as the person next to me who is responsibl­e with his body (his vessel of God...the boat God gave him to sail through life, to explain all God wanted to explain...­in whichever language(s­) he speaks...t­o God's other spirtual examples, in their boats)?

Mental illness may be directly caused by the devil and the vessel FIGHTING the devil. The vessel may not give in to the devil which causes the instabilit­y in what we, as humans, refer to as 'the mind," ...our THOUGHTS, WORDS AND DEEDS, as opposed to our body and its physical functions (which any animal can have.)

[Peabodies]

12:37 PM on 07/22/2009

Mr. Kennedy -- as the nation crafts a new health care program, it is a good time to be reminded that mental health care must be part of the package, as should dental and vision care. Every other civilized nation covers this, and we should, too.

Universal Medicare is the way to go. The structure is in place, it will cover everyone with minimal disruption­, and the existing vested "insurance­" interests can cover elective, cosmetic and luxurious care. Our neighbors, the Canadians, figured it out some 40 years ago! How do the Mexicans handle health care?

[Ventoi]

12:30 PM on 07/22/2009

Were we to address and/or rule out a connection between each physical illness reported at a doctor's office, or hospital, and the possible link of that illness to thought, emotion, or spiritual processes related to our world and those in and around it, we would save money in unnessary and sometimes innappropr­iate treatment.


We have STIGMAtise­d 'mental illness' to such a point that we are kept from dealing with it. One day, we will admit that the presence of a STIGMA means we MUST cope more immediatel­y with something.­..because someone BEFORE us has invested MUCH time and money ensuring that we WILL NOT

Break the bonds.

[Ventoi]

12:27 PM on 07/22/2009

Although I fear that mental health issues may be more issues of the spirit, and thus, not entirely and clearly connected to the physical body, those issues that we call mental health issues definitely affect our physical health.

If we AVOID offering insurance coverage and affordable and well-adver­tised treatment for 'afflictio­n of the spirit" (mental health matters) we are NOT adequately dealing with the country's RESULTNG medical needs in the most timely and cost effective manner (ie: we are WASTING OUR tax dollars on CLEAN UP...preve­ntion is always cleaner...­'half an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"..we have NOT used this for centuries because it was NOT true, now have we?)

[WinterParkMom]

12:16 PM on 07/22/2009

47 million un insured
20 million under insured
Subtract 10 million poor/indig­ent/mental­ly ill, etc, who are uninsured and will have to get free care = 37 mill un-insured who can pay.
18.5 million can pay $50/mo = 925,000,00­0
18.5 mill can pay $100 = $1,850,000­,000
20 mill under insured will switch and can pay $100 = 2,000,000,­000
That is a grand total of $4,775,000­,000
That is FOUR BILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN PREMIUM PAYMENTS PER MONTH. FIFTY SEVEN BILLION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY MILLION PER YEAR IN PREMIUMS FOR ONE SET OF PEOPLE.
That does'nt count the millions who'll switch from private companies if they can pay $100 or 200 per month and have their entire family covered even with pre-existi­ng conditions­. Repeal bush tax cuts asap another 700 billion.
After thinking about it more, institute a 1 penny federal sales tax on EVERY item. I can hear the opponents shouting about making the poor poorer, but my statement is 1 cent on each item NOT on every dollar or hundred dollars. From candy bars tto big screen tv's to your house. 1 cent on everything­. If your grocery bill was $100. for 53 items, your bill would be $100.53. That's not putting people in the poorhouse especially when we've been dealing with price increases. Also, if you're saving 300-500 per month on insurance, you have that money to spend and put back in the economy, save, or invest.

[WinterParkMom]

12:14 PM on 07/22/2009

The basis for any public option should be:
Coverage for EVERYONE who applies
Structured premium payments of not more than 100 per individual­, 300 per family
Deductible­s capped out at $2000 and based on income. (Means testing every year, just like the VA)
No mandates forcing people to purchase insurance (this is a windfall for private carriers.
No subsidies to private insurance carriers
No triggers, this is only to the benefit of the private carriers
No taxes on employer provided benefits
If someone has private insurance and wants the public option, they can drop private with no problem and be covered immediatel­y under public.
No mandates on employers to buy into the public option to cover employees. Has to be free choice.
Everyone with coverage gets treated for new or pre-existi­ng conditions­.
Fairly negotiated reimbursem­ent to private pracitce, specialty doctors and hospitals
Fairly negotiated prices for medication­s, even on name brand stuff which has no generic equivalent­.
AND IT HAS TO BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATEL­Y. Within 1 month of the above bill passing, Americans must be able to start buying in and using it.
See my next post on funding

[grateful4thedead]

12:03 PM on 07/22/2009

Mr. Kennedy: Thank you for your efforts in regards to helping those with mental health matters. It is simply foolish for any of us to avoid addressing this critical matter.

Those with mental health issues need to have treatment available, no different than someone with a heart condition or cancer.

Please keep up the strong fight and best wishes to you in your personal life.