{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221113428/http://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/obamacare-will-help-172000-rhode-islanders-gain-access-to-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-benefits", "Obamacare Will Help 172,000 Rhode Islanders Gain Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits", "2013-12-10", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Sheldon Whitehouse", "W000802", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, December 10, 2013\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC \u2013 According to data released today by the White House, 172,000 Rhode Islanders will gain access to expanded mental health and substance use disorder benefits and federal parity protections thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).\u00a0 U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a strong advocate for mental health parity, applauded the announcement as the latest example of the ACA improving care for Rhode Islanders.  \u00a0  \u201cFor too long, Americans suffering from mental health conditions have been stigmatized, misdiagnosed, and poorly treated,\u201d said Whitehouse.\u00a0 \u201cThe new benefits provided through the health care law will complement the landmark mental health parity law championed by Congressman Patrick Kennedy in 2008, and are an important step toward improving care for mental health patients.\u00a0 It\u2019s long past time to recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health by providing equal access to care, and the Affordable Care Act is helping us do so.\u201d  \u00a0  Because of the health care law, for the first time insurance companies in the individual and small group market are required to cover mental health and substance use disorder services as one of ten categories of essential health benefits.\u00a0 Additionally, insurance companies must cover these services at parity with medical and surgical benefits, which means, for example, out-of-pocket costs for behavioral health services must be comparable to coverage for medical and surgical care.  \u00a0  An estimated one in five adults experiences a mental health problem in any given year.\u00a0 While most mental health problems are treatable, mental health patients too often cannot access needed treatment if they do not have health insurance that covers mental health services.\u00a0 The Affordable Care Act requires most health plans to cover recommended preventive services like depression screenings for adults and behavioral assessments for children at no cost to consumers.\u00a0 And, because of the law, starting in 2014 insurers will not be able to deny coverage or charge individuals more due to pre-existing conditions, including mental health problems.  \u00a0  Over the past several years, Senator Whitehouse has emerged as one of the leaders in Congress on mental health issues.\u00a0 He strongly supported Congressman Kennedy\u2019s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act in 2008, and in 2010 Whitehouse and Kennedy teamed up to introduce the Health Information Technology (HIT) Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act.\u00a0 That bill would have made federal HIT incentives available to behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment providers who are currently ineligible to receive incentives available to a majority of medical professionals and facilities.\u00a0 Whitehouse has continued working on that legislation since Kennedy\u2019s retirement, reintroducing it earlier this year.  \u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221113428/http://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/obamacare-will-help-172000-rhode-islanders-gain-access-to-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-benefits"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.340521965175867, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}