Rob Andrews: “Well, it's a goal that we should achieve right here, right now, today, by passing this bill. We've heard the argument…”

“Well, it's a goal that we should achieve right here, right now, today, by passing this bill. We've heard the argument that the bill establishes preferential treatment for people with mental health and substance abuse issues, exactly the opposite of the truth. The bill establishes parity and equal treatment between mental health and substance abuse and physical and surgical benefits. We've heard the concern that medical management practices that control costs have been taken out of the bill. What is also true, however, is that nothing in present law, nothing in the status quo precludes medical management practices that are useful in offsetting costs. There is nothing that prohibits that. Finally, we hear that there is a concern that employers confronted with the defined benefit package, with the guaranteed rights of the insured under this will drop coverage. In States that have similar provisions, there is not a shred of empirical evidence that that is the case. Where State laws extend robust protections to mental health and substance abuse benefits, employers have not dropped mental health coverage; in fact, it has expanded. This is the right time for the right bill. Its cost is minimal, its benefit is great, its support is bipartisan, and its time for passage is now.”