parity legislation before the 2007 congressional session ends.  As you

know, this important legislation (S 558) passed the Senate by a unanimous

vote on September 18.  A separate House version (HR 1424) has 273

cosponsors and has cleared 3 House committees and is now awaiting action

by the full House.

With only a few weeks remaining in this year's congressional session, it

is critical that Congress come to an agreement on this bill so that it can

be passed and sent on to the President before the end of 2007.  I urge you

to contact Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Boehner and urge them to

press for an agreement between the House and Senate bills that is

acceptable to the President.  I urge you to support the efforts of your

colleagues Representatives Patrick Kennedy and Jim Ramstad to get an

agreement on HR 1424 that can get through both the House and Senate and be

signed into law this year.  The time has come to pass legislation to

ensure that mental illnesses are covered in health plans on the same terms

and conditions as all other illnesses.

I want to remind you that: 

 *  Untreated mental illness costs American businesses, government and

families more than $80 billion annually in lost productivity and

unemployment, broken lives and broken families, emergency room visits,

homelessness and unnecessary use of jails and prisons,

 *  Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major

depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe anxiety disorders are

real illnesses,

 *  Treatment for mental illness works, if accessible - treatment efficacy

rates for most severe mental illnesses exceed those for heart disease and

diabetes,

 *  There is simply no scientific or medical justification for insurance

coverage of mental illness treatment to be on different terms and

conditions than other diseases, and

 *  Discriminatory limits in health plans bankrupt families and place a

tremendous burden on taxpayers through higher expenditures for public

disability and health benefits, chronic homelessness and inappropriate

"criminalization" of mental illness.

Do NOT let this historic opportunity to pass mental illness parity pass

by.  Do NOT allow Congress to adjourn for the year without passing this