{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221125249/http://www.stabenow.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1202", "Senator Stabenow Applauds Announcement to Strengthen Mental Health Parity", "2013-11-08", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Debbie Stabenow", "S000770", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, author of the mental health parity requirement in health reform and cosponsor of the bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act, today applauded the announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that outlines new rules to strengthen mental health parity. Today's announcement ensures that the final protections under the 2008 Mental Health Parity law are fully implemented.  Senator Stabenow fought for the passage of this law, which prevents health insurance plans from charging more (through higher co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs) for mental health and substance abuse services than for medical or surgical benefits.  Since passage of the law, Sen. Stabenow has been advocating for these final rules to move forward, with strong standards that will ensure more equal coverage.\nSenator Stabenow also authored a provision of the Affordable Care Act that ensures the requirements of the 2008 parity law also apply to the new health care marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act.\n\"This announcement is another step toward strengthening America's mental health services and making sure treatment is available for the thousands of Americans living with mental illness,\" Stabenow said. \"These rules bring us closer to ensuring that we treat mental health the same as physical health, and individuals and their families who are struggling with mental health can get the care and support they need.\"\nOne-third of those with mood disorders do not receive treatment of any kind in a given year, and fewer than half of those with severe mental disorders receive any treatment. Twenty-two veterans commit suicide every day. With at least 25% of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing some type of mental health condition, Community Mental Health Centers are expected to soon be serving hundreds of thousands of additional veterans.\nEarlier this year, Sen. Stabenow introduced the bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act to expand access to treatment for those who need it and ensure the quality of care delivered.\nThe Excellence in Mental Health Act is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of Senators including Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Jack Reed (D-RI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Chris Coons (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\nThe bill is supported by over 50 mental health organizations, veterans organizations and law enforcement organizations including: the National Association of Police Organizations, National Sherriffs Association, American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Council for Behavioral Healthcare, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health America, National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Give An Hour, among many others.", 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/20140221125249/http://www.stabenow.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1202"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7766710370779037, "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"}