releases: http://franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2626
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2626 | Sen. Franken Welcomes Release of Long-Delayed Mental Health Guidelines | 2013-11-08 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Democrat | House | MN | Al Franken | F000457 | franken.senate.gov | legacy | Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) welcomed the release of long-delayed federal guidelines that require insurance companies to cover mental health care to the same extent as other medical services. He also called for a careful review of the new rules prior to their implementation to ensure that millions in Minnesota and across the country can start gaining access to critical mental health services. The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which was passed in 2008, requires group health plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder services to the same extent that medical and surgical benefits are covered. The interim regulations for the law were released in 2010, but the lack of final regulations made the full implementation of the law extremely difficult, if not impossible. "Like Senator Paul Wellstone and Representative Jim Ramstad, I believe it's critically important to do everything we can to recognize mental illness early and treat it effectively," said Sen. Franken. "And a big part of that includes clearing barriers to make these services available. I hope these rules will allow full implementation of this important law, so that millions in Minnesota and across the country who need treatment for mental health and substance use disorders can start getting the care they need. I look forward to carefully reviewing all the guidelines and working to get this law fully implemented as quickly as possible." Sen. Franken is a champion of mental health care and has been pushing for the implementation of the mental health parity law since his first days in the Senate. He has led several Congressional letters urging the Obama Administration to move forward with the implementation of mental health parity, most recently writing to President Obama last week. During a Judiciary Subcommittee hearing yesterday on delayed federal regulations, Sen. Franken heard from witnesses on how the lack of final rules harmed access to critical mental health services.During the hearing, Sen. Franken heard from a mother who has struggled to receive mental health coverage for her daughter. Sen. Franken has also authored legislation to ensure that schools provide access to critical mental health treatment for kids who need those services. You can read more about Sen. Franken's Mental Health in Schools Act here.And he introduced the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act to bring more resources to law enforcement, the courts, and correctional facilities to help them better deal with the increasingly-prevalent mental health issues they encounter. Read more here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |