U-M Depression Center Recognizes the
Loss of a Champion for Mental Health Parity
The U-M Depression Center is saddened by the loss of Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and professional colleagues.
“Senator Kennedy was a true advocate for those with depressive, bipolar and all mental illnesses and tirelessly worked to make sure these illnesses were given the same attention and protection as other health ailments. His persistence and insistence on progress, working with his son Patrick, a leading member of Congress, on parity for mental health and substance abuse was one of his crowning achievements and will have lasting effects for generations to come,” said UMDC Executive Director, John F. Greden, M.D.
The parity bill passed in Congress last year requires that mental health and substance abuse coverage offered by a health insurance plan is on par with other physical health coverage. Both Senator and Congressman Kennedy were instrumental in getting this piece of legislation passed. Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy is a member of the National Advisory Board for the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center, and Congressman Kennedy has guided our progress since the Center’s inception.
Edward Kennedy, who served for nearly five decades in the Senate, helped push several other significant health-related bills through Congress. His efforts provided health insurance coverage for many children and seniors in need. He made greater drug benefits for Medicare recipients possible, coauthored the bill with friend and colleague Republican Senator Orrin Hatch for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and was instrumental in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which protects individuals with physical and mental handicaps.
Kennedy will long be remembered for his willingness to work across the aisle and his ability to find compromises even on the most polarizing types of public policy. Despite his staunch commitment to liberal ideals, his many conservative friends and colleagues included Hatch, Senator John McCain, and former President Ronald Reagan. He was at the forefront of nearly all critical pieces of legislation that progressed civil rights, immigration reform, education, campaign finance reform, and most importantly, health care. He has been a tireless advocate for Health Care Reform and he and his team recognized the importance of widespread collaborations in attacking clinical depression and bipolar illness, since these two disorders lead the country in burden and disability, and are second in cost.
Kennedy died of brain cancer on Tuesday, Aug. 25 after a year-long battle with the disease. He was 77. Kennedy is survived by his wife Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family. We, at the U-M Depression Center, are saddened by the loss of a true friend and champion.
