Second the motion: Pass the Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Act

Corner House Comments asks Congress to Act Now-Pass the Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Act. The AP described the bill in a report on Saturday:

In 1996, Paul Wellstone and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., won passage of a law banning plans that offer mental health coverage from setting lower annual and lifetime spending limits for mental treatments than for physical ailments.

The House legislation - and a mental health parity bill that the Senate passed last year - build on that by adding things like co-payments, deductibles and treatment limitations, a longtime goal of Wellstone's. But David Wellstone calls the House bill stronger. The House bill is sponsored by Reps. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., who has battled depression, alcoholism and drug abuse, and Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., a recovering alcoholic. Ramstad plans to retire at the end of the year, but has said he wants to see the bill passed before he goes.

This bill is a bi-partisan solution to the problems faced by millions of people struggling to pay for mental health care.  It's time. Last June, we wrote Mental health parity act: "not just another public policy issue."