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October 10, 2007

House panel clears Kennedy's mental-health bill

WASHINGTON -- A key House subcommittee today cleared Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy’s signature legislation to put insurance coverage of mental illness on an equal footing with that of physical ailments, bringing the bill a step closer to what Democrats and Republicans both said is a likely presidential signing ceremony this fall.

"I think there is a determination by the leadership in both houses of Congress to get mental health parity enacted before adjournment this year,’’ said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which passed the measure on a voice vote.

The full committee is slated next week to clear the measure for action on the House floor. The measure already enjoys the support of a bipartisan House majority.

If the House passes the mental health bill, compromise negotiations would ensue with the Senate, which passed its version on a bipartisan voice vote last month.

The chief Senate sponsors are Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. -- father of Rep. Kennedy -- and Sens. Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico and Mike Enzi of Wyoming, both Republicans.

While he has not endorsed either bill, President Bush has expressed support for equal medical insurance treatment of mental and physical illnesses, so backers of both versions are optimistic that he would sign an eventual compromise.

Nevertheless, some spirited fights lie ahead on the details of the legislation, as today’s subcommittee debate confirmed.

Republicans argued strenuously that Kennedy’s bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., would impose unnecessary costs on insurers and perhaps even drive some to drop mental health insurance altogether. But they failed on a 19 to 9 vote, generally along party lines, to amend the measure to bring it closer to the Senate version, which enjoys the support of the business community.

-- John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington bureau

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 3:33 PM | Permalink

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