Napolitano Joins Colleagues on Nationwide Tour to Promote Mental Health and Addiction Equity Bill

(Norwalk, CA)- Representative Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) joined her colleagues Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN) on Saturday, February 10th, for the Los Angeles area field hearing of the national “Campaign to Insure Mental Health and Addiction Equity,” hearing testimony from ordinary American citizens whose lives have been touched by mental illness and chemical addiction. 

Mental health advocates, health care professionals, and over 20 members of the public shared their personal stories pertaining to experiences navigating the health care system as it relates to mental health.  Speakers included: Judge Harry Pregerson, United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; Stephen Mayberg, Ph.D., Director, California Department of Mental Health; Marvin J. Southard, Director, County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health; and Lee Baca, Sheriff, County of Los Angeles.  Local agencies included: AltaMed Health Services, National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Whittier, Intercommunity Child Guidance Center, and Pacific Clinics.

“Our work to collect information through testimony from ordinary Americans helps ensure coverage for all in the most responsible and comprehensive federal equity bill possible,” explained Representative Napolitano.  “Americans with mental illnesses pay their premiums like everyone else and deserve the same rights from their insurance on these conditions as everyone else receives for other physical conditions.”

Often health insurance plans impose limits on mental health and addiction coverage, leaving families and individuals to fight for obtaining care as they face the burdens of these illnesses on their own.  The testimony given at Saturday’s hearing is part of a comprehensive Congressional debate over equal access to care for these conditions, and part of the preparations for the reintroduction of federal legislation – the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act – aimed at ensuring that health plans offer equal coverage for mental health and addiction treatment, as they would other medical conditions.

“Insurance companies are blatantly discriminating against their beneficiaries by ‘cherry picking’ and choosing not to treat mental illnesses equal to other medical conditions,” noted Napolitano.  “This is a great discrimination facing our families and loved ones.  Mental illnesses are diagnosable and treatable, and Congress must act to ensure that insurance companies are providing adequate coverage and proper long term treatment that will lead to healthy and productive lives, versus the risk of relapses which ultimately cost insurance companies much more.”

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