Liberal in the Land of Conservative

Mr. Speaker, the issue before us is not just another public policy issue, it's a matter of life or death for 54 million Americans suffering the ravages of mental health and for 22 million Americans suffering from chemical addiction.

Last year alone, 300,000 people were denied access to addiction treatment, most had health insurance, and 33,000 people committed suicide from untreated depression. Over 150,000 of our fellow Americans died as a direct result of chemical addiction.

On top of the tragic loss of lives, Mr. Speaker, untreated addiction and mental illness cost our economy over $550 billion last year. According to the Wall Street Journal, untreated depression alone cost our businesses $70 billion in lost productivity last year.

So it's ludicrous for the opponents to come here and argue that parity will cost businesses $1.5 billion, as my friend from Washington, member of the Rules Committee, did. If you don't believe the Wall Street Journal, certainly those on our side of the aisle, what do you believe? Cost businesses $70 billion, just depression, untreated depression alone.

Mr. Speaker, all the empirical data, including all the actuarial studies, show that equity for mental health and addiction treatment will save literally billions of dollars nationally. At the same time, it will not raise premiums more than two-tenths of 1 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That's our own CBO numbers. So, I don't know where these people are getting these numbers, these inflated cost figures. Pulling them out of thin air is the only thing I can surmise.

The CBO says it will not raise premiums more than two-tenths of 1 percent. In other words, for the price of a cheap cup of coffee per month, several million Americans in health plans can receive treatment for chemical addiction and mental illness. And it's unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that some opponents of this legislation have misrepresented the costs of enacting parity.

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Mr. Speaker, I'm alive and sober today only because of the access I had to treatment back on July 31, 1981, when I woke up in a jail cell in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I'm living proof that treatment works and recovery is real.

But far too many people in our country don't have the same access to treatment that I had and other Members of Congress have also had. A major barrier for thousands of Americans is insurance discrimination against people in health plans who need treatment for mental illness or chemical addiction.

The legislation that my friend from Rhode Island, PATRICK KENNEDY, who has worked tirelessly on this legislation, who arranged for all 14 field hearings, who has been a real champion, this legislation that we have authored will end the discrimination by prohibiting health insurers from placing discriminatory restrictions on treatment for people with mental illness or addiction. In other words, no more inflatable deductibles or copayments that don't apply to physical diseases. No more limited
treatment stays that don't apply to physical diseases. No more discrimination against people with mental illness or chemical addiction.

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act simply provides equal treatment for diseases of the brain and the body. This legislation provides people in health plans with the same exact coverage that we as Members of Congress have and other Federal employees as well.

By the way, some of the exaggeration, some of the red herrings as to the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV are just beyond belief. The red herrings presented by opponents, caffeine addiction, sibling rivalry, jet lag, would not be subject to treatment because insurance plans can use ``medical necessity'' requirements. So let's not use bogus red herring arguments. Let's come with intellectually honest arguments if you're against this legislation.

Also, the DSM-IV is used for Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans health care. I wonder how many of you can go home and say, look, it's good enough [Page: H1298]
for Members of Congress but it's not good enough for you, constituents. I don't think anybody in this body would dare do that nor should we. If it's good enough for Members of Congress, it's good enough for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, PATRICK KENNEDY and I have traveled the country from one end to the other, holding 14 field hearings. We've heard literally hundreds of stories of human suffering, broken families, tragic deaths, shattered dreams all because of insurance companies not providing access to adequate treatment for mental illness and addiction. I don't have time, Mr. Speaker, to recite some of these horror stories, but PATRICK and I could share hundreds and hundreds of horror stories caused
by discrimination in treatment for mentally ill and addicted people that we heard in these 14 States.

Mr. Speaker, it's time to end the discrimination against people who need treatment for mental illness and addiction. It's time to prohibit health insurers from placing discriminatory barriers to treatment. It's time to pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. The American people, Mr. Speaker, cannot wait any longer.