Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, the Aurora movie theater, and the Washington Navy Yard served as wake-up calls to our Nation that action must be taken to provide better care and support for Americans living with mental illness and their families.

As an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act, I am pleased that the bill before us today includes a provision, based on our legislation, to establish pilot programs in eight States to strengthen and improve access to quality community mental health services.

Unfortunately, patients with serious mental conditions all too often lack access to care and experience difficulties obtaining appropriate and sustained treatment for their illness. Over the course of a year, fewer than half of those with severe mental disorders receive any treatment at all. Treatment rates are even worse for children, adolescents and young people between the ages of 16 and 24. This is especially troubling given that nearly half of all lifetime cases of psychiatric conditions begin by the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24.

Of the 20 percent of Americans who will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, just one in five will receive professional care. These kinds of numbers would be totally unacceptable for patients afflicted with cancer, diabetes, heart disease or any other physical disorder. They therefore should not be accepted for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, or any other serious mental illness.

I am particularly concerned about the high rates of suicide among our active duty military and returning veterans. The number of reported suicide deaths in the U.S. military surged to a record 349 in 2012, which is more than the number of servicemembers who lost their lives in combat in Afghanistan during the same period of time.

The number of suicides among veterans has reached an astounding rate of 22 a day according to some studies. These losses are simply unacceptable. With at least 25 percent of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing some type of mental health condition, it is even more urgent that comprehensive mental health services be available in communities across the country. This is particularly true in rural states like Maine, where mental health services may not be easily accessible through the VA.

We know that people suffering from mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators. However, we also have seen too many tragic examples of what happens when people with serious mental illness do not get the treatment and services they need.

The legislation that we are considering today has been endorsed by more than 50 mental health organizations, veterans organizations and law enforcement organizations. It takes an important first step toward expanding access to care and improving quality of care so that more people living with mental illness can get the treatment they need in their communities.

In closing, I want to commend my colleagues from Michigan and Missouri for their tireless work to increase access to community mental health services and to improve the quality of care for those living with mental illness.

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