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Perspectives

| less than a minute read

28 years later - Mental Health Parity

In September 1996, the Mental Health Parity Act was signed into law to address variations of annual and lifetime dollar limits for mental health benefits vs. medical and surgical.  In the early 2000s, I chaired a coalition of provider groups, hospitals and patient groups that advocated for an expansion of the 1996 law. In 2008, those efforts resulted in the enactment of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. While this process has taken far too long - we must demand more for mental health care. I am pleased to see the stigma of treatment begin to dissipate we have far too many youth in crisis that need care, too few professionals to provide care and too few psychiatric beds for those that need inpatient care. We must continue to demand more and reimbursement is only one hurdle to our mental health delivery system. 

“Mental health care is health care. But for far too many Americans, critical care and treatments are out of reach. Today, my Administration is taking action to address our nation’s mental health crisis by ensuring mental health coverage will be covered at the same level as other health care for Americans. There is no reason that breaking your arm should be treated differently than having a mental health condition. The steps my Administration is taking today will dramatically expand access to mental health care in America.” - White House Press Release 9.9.04