Sen. Edward M. Kennedy: Mental and Physical Health: Equalizing Coverage.
When you or a loved one is battling depression or another mental illness, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether your insurance will cover your medical care.
For too long, people living with mental illnesses have been forced to suffer from discrimination. Insurers charge more to treat mental disorders than they do for physical illnesses -- and the treatment options are far more limited, or even nonexistent.
Such discriminatory coverage is unfair and must be stopped. Last week the U.S. Senate achieved a major breakthrough to eliminate this widespread form of discrimination from our nation's health care system. The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 requires health insurance companies to treat mental illnesses the same as physical ailments, allowing millions of Americans to get the care they need.
Mental illnesses can be just as devastating as physical illnesses, with far-reaching consequences for patients and their families. Insurance companies must make equal treatment available to those suffering from these conditions. The inability of a patient to obtain treatment for mental illness can mean years of shattered dreams and unfulfilled potential.
One in five Americans will face a mental illness sometime this year. The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 will protect 113 million Americans from unfair treatment limitations and unfair financial requirements imposed by group health plans. That means no limits on days or treatment visits, and no exorbitant co-payments or deductibles.
Ending our health care system's discrimination against the mentally ill makes sense for our nation and our economy. Mental illnesses cost the country an estimated $324 billion a year in treatment expenses, lost employee productivity, and crime. Making sure these patients get treatment to manage their illnesses will cut that number substantially and save our economy billions of dollars each year. Businesses will also obtain substantial savings, since study after study shows that employees with mental health problems have considerably higher overall health costs and lower productivity.
The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 was passed by the Senate with broad support by the health care community, business leaders, and the insurance industry. The strength and diversity of this coalition is a tribute to the importance of this issue, and it underscores our commitment to treat all patients facing all diseases with the dignity and respect they deserve.
 [The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com]
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