It's a civil rights issue

We have laws against discrimination.But when it comes to mental health and addiction, profound inequities persist. People fighting alcoholism, schizophrenia, and eating disorders aren’t being treated and covered to the same extent as those seeking care in the rest of the medical system. Mental health has been an afterthought in this country's health care policy for too long. The harrowing rise in opioid overdoses in recent years underscores the urgency we face in fixing that shortcoming. My cousin Joe and I both believe that mental health is part of overall health and should get equal treatment from insurance companies. And I know you do, too. The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires health insurance companies to pay for equal access to mental, behavioral, and physical health services. Despite that law, insurers today deny mental health claims at nearly twice the rate as other medical and surgical benefits, and routinely impose more onerous medical management practices. It's simple: this is a medical civil rights issue. No one living with a treatable disease should be discriminated against. It's time for true parity, and an end to a “separate and unequal” system of care. Patrick Patrick J. Kennedy Former United States Representative, Rhode Island Founder, Kennedy Forum (www.thekennedyforum.org) Paid for by Joe Kennedy for Congress.