Kennedy, Ramstad to deliver report on mental health

Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) today will present House Democratic leaders with a report of findings from 15 field hearings examining insurance coverage of addiction and mental illness.

{mosads}The congressmen’s report comes nearly one year after Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol and sought treatment for addiction to prescription pain and sleep medications.

Since 2001, Kennedy has called for legislation requiring insurers and employers to provide equal coverage for mental and physical illnesses.

Now, Kennedy and Ramstad’s bill, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, has 264 cosponsors, including nearly three dozen Republicans. The bill would require plans that provide mental-health benefits to cover the same range of mental illness and addiction disorders covered by the largest federal employees’ health plan.

Kennedy’s father, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), has introduced a similar but less far-reaching bill. David Wellstone, a son of former Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), will be on hand. His father pushed for parity legislation before he was killed in a plane crash in 2002.