Chris Dodd: “I rise in support of S. 558, the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007. After many months of negotiations, I am pleased to…”

“I rise in support of S. 558, the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007. After many months of negotiations, I am pleased to call myself a strong supporter of this legislation. I thank the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and pensions Committee and the senior Senator from New Mexico for working with me and congratulate them on passage of S. 558. They and their staff have worked long hours to craft this compromise bill. Supporters of mental health parity, old and new, should commend the leadership of Senators Kennedy and Domenici for their years of commitment and struggle to pass expanded Federal mental health parity legislation. Millions of Americans are affected by mental illness. Each year, more than 50 million American adults will suffer from a mental disorder. All of us know a friend, a relative, a neighbor, a colleague whose life has been touched by mental illness, either their own or the illness of a loved one. Yet despite the compelling need, under many health plans, mental health benefits are much more limited than benefits for medical or surgical care. Even though a range of effective treatments exist for almost all mental disorders, those suffering from mental illness often face increased barriers to care and the stigma that underlies discriminatory practices in how we treat mental illness. These are the individuals that have insurance. It can only be worse for those without insurance.”