More than 50 people gathered to discuss mental health and addiction equity to promote parity on Saturday in the Student Center.

U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), and Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN) all discussed proposed legislation that will campaign for insurance companies to make it important to obtain care. The forum was sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Greater Los Angeles.

Ramstad said that mental addiction is not just a Republican or a Democratic issue, but a move that is an issue for both parties. Not only would the treatment deal with the mental aspects, but also with physical aspects, such as the issue of anorexia.

According to www.mentalhealthamerica.net 300,000 people have some form of mental health disorder diagnosed in addition to the 350,000 Americans who die from addiction each year.

30,000 Americans commit suicide each year as well.

Furthermore, Ramstad said that $4 billion is spent to submit those with a mental illness into a mental institution.

However, Napolitano, Kennedy and Ramstad all said that there is a way for those who have mental illness or an addiction to get help. It begins with the insurance companies saying that there should be coverage for those who receive treatment for either mental illness or addiction.

Kennedy and Ramstad will reintroduce the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act to the U.S. Congress this year and Ramstad said he hopes that, “this will end discrimination for people who have a mental illness in America.”

He stressed however the importance of acting on the legislation quickly. “We as Americans can’t wait 40 years for something to happen, like it took the Civil Rights Movement to be enacted on; it has to be implemented now,” he said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca agreed. He said that those who have been arrested have suffered from a mental illness as well. From his point of view, he thinks that for those who have committed petty crimes, jails are not the answer.

“Those who have been in jail don’t need to be there,” he said, “therefore there needs to be another system for those who have a mental illness and drug dependency.”

Baca said that people being put behind walls is not therapeutic for those who seek help but the insurance companies are still refusing to cover the cost for treatment.

That is why the bill that will be reintroduced to the U.S. Congress is important according to Napolitano, Kennedy and Ramstad so that all insurance companies know that this issue should no longer be ignored.

Following the discussion, Cerritos students said that in hearing the importance of such an issue as mental health and addiction, it should be spotlighted in the U.S. government.

Velma Samayoa, psychology and mental health major, said that it was a good arena to have the discussion of mental health and addiction. “I feel that the issue of mental health is currently being ignored and denied by insurance companies.”

She added that what is sad is that those who have mental illnesses are stuck with having to be admitted to mental institutions when there is other means of help that could be provided.

Joyoti Gustaplson, psychology and mental health major, agreed. She said that after hearing about the issue, she is confident that something will be done to reverse the thinking of health insurance companies that say that it shouldn’t be covered.