Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008

PAUL WELLSTONE AND PETE DOMENICI MENTAL HEALTH PARITY AND ADDICTION EQUITY ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 23, 2008)

Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, stigmas surrounding mental health illness have negatively impacted disease acceptance, and in turn, access to quality care and treatment. For too long, members of our eastern Connecticut community and Americans across our nation have suffered the consequences of these inequalities in our health care system. Today, we have the opportunity to ease access to quality care and treatments for those with mental illness by passing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 6983).

In 1996, the Mental Health Parity Act codified the first national mental health parity requirements, mandating that annual and lifetime dollar limits on coverage for mental health treatment be no less than those for physical illness. While this legislation marked a monumental achievement with improving access to mental health care and treatments, more must be done.

Throughout the 110th Congress, the House and Senate have worked on mental health parity legislation that will extend coverage requirements beyond those established in the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996. The Mental Health Parity Act (S. 558) introduced in the Senate and the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424), which I cosponsored in the House, both extend coverage mandates to include equity in copayments, deductibles, as well as in- and out-of-network coverage. On March 5, 2008 and September 17, 2007, the House and Senate respectively passed H.R. 1424 and S. 558 with bipartisan support. The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act reflects a compromise between the House and Senate bills, and more broadly, an equitable standard for mental health care coverage.

Mr. Speaker, nearly one in four Americans suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. By passing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act we recognize the prevalence and seriousness of mental health illness as well as the need for expanded coverage. I ask my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this critical legislation.

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