Affordable Care Act

Floor Speech

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is moving in the right direction and delivering what the law was intended to do: delivering a wider range of medical services to all Americans, including improved access to mental health services.

The administration announced that $100 million of additional funding would be made available to expand and improve the way Americans receive mental health services.

According to the California HealthCare Foundation, nearly one in six Californian adults has a mental health need and approximately one in 20 suffers from a serious mental illness that makes it difficult to carry out major life activities. The rate among children is higher where one in 13 suffers from a mental illness that limits participation in daily activities.

While most mental illnesses are treatable, those with mental illness often struggle to get needed treatment if they do not have health insurance that covers mental health services. Starting next year, insurers would not be able to deny coverage or charge an individual more due to preexisting health conditions, including mental illnesses. The health care law would also require most health plans to cover recommended preventive services like depression screening for adults and behavior assessment for children.

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