Wellstone Mental Health Bill Passage

03/06/2008

Paul Munnis


After a long uphill battle that would have been difficult to wage within the U.S. House by even an elected member, David Wellstone managed to help deliver his fathers’ legacy on mental health parity for Americans yesterday.

He did this by working closely with House Leader Nancy Pelosi to get the Bill passed. David Wellstone was joined by Roslyn Carter and singer Carole King and others in their quest for compassion for the mentally ill of our nation.

The legislators went late into the night debating the Bill, the GOP tried to tack a FISA Court Amendment onto it, and much legislative maneuvering was performed on the House floor to delay the vote, but the vote was finally held and now Americans having health insurance that covers both physical and mental illness are covered from mental injury just as they are from physical injury.

It is reported that up to 25% of Americans suffer from mental problems leading insurers to object to new payouts and leaving policy holders to suffer for payment denial. A rash of gun violence, depression leading to murder, and a cadre of military troops returning from war zones has prompted the need for such legislation and for clarification of the scope of insurance coverage.

The outcome was a 268-148 roll call vote by which the House passed a bill to require equal health insurance coverage for both mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both.

The vote sets the stage for negotiations with the Senate, which passed a less stringent version of the bill last year. Key backers of the House bill, including Reps. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., and Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., say it provides greater access to treatment for people with addiction and mental health problems.

Congratulations to David Wellstone on his accomplishment and we want to encourage fellow Democrats to continue their quest for a national health insurance program. Our next goal must be to get all of the children of America covered by health insurance.

Raising healthy generations of children is a necessary first step in producing generations of healthy adults and will thus lower the cost of adding coverage for the rest of America.