Washington, DC – Today, local Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand voted for the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act [H.R. 1424], bipartisan legislation that will prohibit insurance companies from placing treatment or financial limitations on mental health benefits.  Congresswoman Gillibrand is an original sponsor of the bill.

“This bill will eliminate the stigma and discrimination that individuals face when trying to seek treatment for mental health issues.  Mental illnesses should not be viewed differently than physical illnesses, and this bill will provide the same parity that Members of Congress and all federal employees receive,” Congresswoman Gillibrand said.  “Furthermore, increasing access to mental health benefits will improve worker production, while also strengthening our families and communities.”

This legislation does not mandate all health insurance plans to cover mental illnesses; rather, the bill only mandates equity for plans that provide mental health coverage.  Currently, health care plans may restrict the number of visits a patient can have to a mental health professional, or they are allowed to charge higher co-payments, deductibles or out-of-pocket expenses than what the plan charges for physical health treatments. 

Congresswoman Gillibrand added, “Health insurance companies should not be able to pick and choose which mental health conditions they cover, and this bill will end the genetic and medical discrimination that many Americans face when trying to seek treatment for a mental health problem.”

This legislation applies only to businesses with 50 or more employees, and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this legislation will have a miniscule impact on health care premiums.