Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, this bill has been a long time coming, and I am sure Senator Wellstone would both be pleased to see us addressing this issue, finally, and also so, so proud of our colleagues, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Ramstad. The bill will provide countless protections to patients by preventing discrimination and treatment limitations by insurance companies.
All too often I hear stories about children with eating disorders, parents who are substance abusers, individuals with bipolar disorder, or any other number of mental health disorders who have been unable to access coverage for mental health services. These disorders are just as great as any physical malady and, frankly, oftentimes they have a greater impact on an individual's ability to live a healthy, happy life as a productive member of society.
Last year, during our hearing on this bill, for example, we heard from a woman named Marley Prunty-Lara, who was diagnosed with bipolar disease at the age of 15. Her family had to take out a second mortgage on their home and move to another State just to afford care. However, with proper treatment, she is now a fully productive member of society and in fact credits her treatment for saving her life.
What I remember most vividly from her testimony is how lucky she felt that her family was able to afford coverage although they had to make sacrifices to do so. And then I thought, what about all of the other individuals in this country whose insurance companies do not provide them with mental health benefits and cannot afford treatment? What about the individuals whose benefits run out before they have fully recovered? And what about people with chronic conditions? Just like my little 14-year-old daughter has type I diabetes, she will get the treatment she needs for the rest of her life. But what about people with mental health conditions who do not? We know that mental health is fundamental to good health. That is why we need to support this legislation.
I find it interesting that we are addressing the question of how we as a society want to pay for mental health at the same time as we are addressing the same question in the context of the President's budget and health care for children. I honestly hope that we can pass this legislation today and finally put the days of discrimination toward individuals with mental health or substance abuse disorders behind us. It is time to finally pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act.
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