Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley (OR-05) joined her colleagues in the US House of Representatives in approving legislation she cosponsored that will grant greater access to mental health and addiction treatment and prohibit health insurers from placing discriminatory restrictions on treatment.

In October, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007, which would expand the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 by closing loopholes that allow plans to charge higher copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and maximum out-of-pocket limits and impose lower day and visit limits on mental health and addiction care.

“Denying or limiting treatment for a mental illness can be just as dangerous as denying surgery to a heart attack patient,” said Hooley, a member of the Subcommittee on Health and an original cosponsor of H.R. 1424.  “For some mental illnesses, collateral costs on families and society can be even greater.  Today we took steps to put an end to the stigma of mental illness and a health care system that helps perpetuate it.”

Approximately 26.2 percent of American adults struggle with a diagnosable psychiatric condition in a given year.  More than 160,000 Oregonians suffer from serious mental illness and an additional 100,000 Oregonian children under age 18 have experienced a serious emotional disturbance.  Untreated addiction and mental illness cost the American economy over $550 billion last year.

“It is past time we treat mental illness and chemical addiction under the same rules as illness that affects other parts of the body,” added Hooley.

Oregon Governor Kulongoski signed Oregon Senate Bill 1 into law on August 15, 2005 to establish mental health parity in Oregon.  H.R. 1424 has protections that would prevent it from preempting state law.
The bill now heads to the Senate for action.