Political Quotes

“I rise today with my colleague, Senator Tina Smith, to introduce the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act, legislation that eliminates Medicare's arbitrary 190-day lifetime cap on inpatient services in psychiatric hospitals. Given the steps that Congress has already taken to establish parity and improve coverage of mental health services, this change is long overdue, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the already alarming trends in the mental health of some Americans. Notably, an estimated 13.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States are living with serious mental illness, representing 5.2 percent of all adults nationwide. These illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are chronic conditions that require ongoing treatment and care over a lifetime. When left untreated, they can be some of the most debilitating and destructive illnesses afflicting Americans. Unfortunately, our current mental health system is fragmented, and these individuals all too often lack access to the care that they need. That is why I have worked to improve mental health services across the lifespan and break down barriers to treatment. The legislation I am introducing today eliminates another barrier in Medicare, the 190-day lifetime cap on inpatient services in psychiatric hospitals. Most Medicare beneficiaries treated in inpatient psychiatric facilities qualify because of a disability.…”