Patrick J. Kennedy: “The promise of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act has not been realized and that many Americans are…”

We have so underfunded this system for so long, why is it a big surprise that we don't have enough providers in the field?

We wouldn't expect any less if there were any other illness. And yet we settled for less than 20 percent of Americans getting any of that today in this country.

We all end up picking up the tab for not enforcing parity.

This is why it is time to pass the Telemental Health Expansion Act which I introduced, as I mentioned, with Congresswoman Doris Matsui.