Emergency Economic Stabilization Act Of 2008

Floor Speech

* Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the inclusion of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health and Addition Equity Act in H.R. 1424, and I congratulate my friend and colleague, Congressman JIM RAMSTAD, for this achievement. Without his courage and dedication to fairness, this bill would not be before us today.

* It is long past time that American families have access to the care they need. This bill ends discrimination against patients seeking treatment for mental illness or addiction by requiring that benefits that are offered for physical health are also available for mental health.

* Mental illness left untreated affects all facets of our society and costs our economy over $150 billion annually. Mental illness affects 50 percent of the homeless population in Minnesota, 70 percent of those in our juvenile justice system, and those with the highest unemployment rates. Health care costs double when diabetes and heart disease patients have co-morbid depression, and patients with mental illness and substance abuse disorders are often less responsive to treatment. In addition, the burden that mental illness places upon the health and productivity of our nation has long been underestimated. One in five adults and one in ten children have a mental illness. And over one-third of our returning service members from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from mental health problems.

* We have all been affected in some way--ourselves, a family member, a friend or colleague--by mental health or substance abuse. This is an issue I hear about in my district a lot, both from those inspired by Senator Wellstone's passion for this issue and those willing to share their stories to make change.

* We all know the current system is unfair. People should not have to forego essential treatment because of cost when care could mean improvements to their quality of life and productivity.

* Parents should not end up with an emergency room bill they can't pay because they rushed their daughter to the hospital after a suicide attempt, or watch their child suffer after being released from a residential center because insurance coverage ended--not because his treatment was over.

* And our servicemen and women returning from Iraq should not be handed a 1-800 number to treat a mental illness.

* As we look to reform our health care system, mental health and physical care can no longer be looked at as separate entities. It is morally right, and good for both our economy and our health care system. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back my time.

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