Rep. Patrick Kennedy issued a statement this evening on the occasion of the historic passage (220-215) of health care reform in the US House of Representatives. And he began, appropriately enough, with a quote from his father. If you stayed up tonight watching CSPAN, I was there with you, and I know you'll enjoy it in full.

"And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege."
-Edward M. Kennedy

Today is truly a historic day for all Americans, and as an elected official of this great democracy, it is an extremely proud day for me. It is an occasion to celebrate and thank all those who fought to protect our nation’s democratic process. It is also an occasion to recognize and remember all those Americans who have suffered waiting for this day to arrive. We have worked together to achieve this goal of quality, affordable health care for all Americans. To all these people, I express my sincere gratitude, and I rejoice with you today that a new chapter in our history has begun.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act creates basic protections for all Americans seeking access to healthcare. No longer will insurers be able to drop you from your insurance when you get sick, nor can they deny you coverage for a pre-existing condition. A public option will offer a choice for consumers and provide real competition to keep private insurers honest. Affordability credits will help individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance. Additionally, these reforms are fully paid for and will actually lower the deficit over the next 10 years.

I am proud that the final version of this legislation includes numerous provisions I have long advocated for and worked with my colleagues to achieve. While the initial draft of the Affordable Health Care for America Act gradually closed the donut hole for Medicare prescription drug coverage over 15 years, I am pleased to have worked with the Speaker to successfully reduce the timeline in which this critical reform will take place. The donut hole will now begin to close immediately and will close completely by 2019, providing much needed assistance and relief to seniors starting next year.

Likewise, I am also pleased that the Affordable Health Care for America Act eliminates lifetime caps, provisions of many health insurance plans that limit the total dollars in benefits that the insurance plan will pay out over the lifetime of an enrollee in the plan. I authored a letter, signed by 23 of my colleagues, urging this lifesaving provision to become effective immediately. I am pleased that the elimination of lifetime caps on insurance has been made effective in 2010, so that none of the 25,000 individuals who reach their lifetime caps each year will die waiting for the provisions to take place.

A key aspect of this legislation that is of particular importance to me is the extension of the mental health parity protections established into law last year by my legislation, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Not only are these protections extended to all plans in the Health Insurance Exchange, but mental health and substance use benefits are a part of the essential benefits package created by this legislation. For 67 percent of adults and 80 percent of children needing mental health care that do not receive it, this victory cannot be understated. I commend my colleagues and my fellow citizens for their leadership in recognizing that the health of the mind truly cannot be separated from the health of the body. Today marks a new day and a giant leap forward towards our transition from a "sick care" system to one which is preventive, collaborative, and patient-centered.

Along these lines, I have also worked closely with my colleagues to ensure that mental health and substance use screening tools, such as Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), were included in this legislation. Severe mental illnesses are estimated to cost the U.S. hundreds of billions annually in lost wages. Screening for mental health and substance use has proven to be a significant cost saver for our health care system. The Affordable Health Care for America Act establishes a program to provide grants to support these critical services.

I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that our health care professionals have the tools that are needed to recognize mental health and substance use in their patients. This means ensuring that mental health and substance use education be required of all health care professionals and integrated into the medical curricula, continuing medical education, and licensing examinations. It also includes addressing the drastic shortages of child and adolescent mental health professionals by providing loan forgiveness and making grants to professional schools to develop, expand, and improve training programs for professionals who serve children and adolescents. Language to this effect is included in some of the Senate healthcare reform legislation, and I will work with my colleagues to ensure that these critical provisions are retained.

Again, I commend my colleagues, the leadership, and my fellow Americans for their steadfast effort, diligence, and tremendous stewardship towards realizing the dream of quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
— Statement by Rep. Patrick Kennedy

Note: From a media release issued by Rep. Kennedy's office.