Eating
Disorders Treatments: Rarely Covered Health Care
-
Finding
Help for Mental Health Problems
Rep. Patrick
Kennedy of Rhode Island
(Washington, D.C.) - Rep. Patrick Kennedy told a packed briefing room
at the Capitol about the difficulties and frustrations his family has had
finding qualified physicians and counselors over the years, and why mental
health parity is a passion.
The Rhode Island Democrat spoke for 15 minutes at the end of a
Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill July 15. The briefing was sponsored
by the Eating Disorders Coalition, Rep. Kennedy, and Rep. Jim Ramstad of
Minnesota.
Kennedy spoke about how finding qualified professionals is often
difficult, even for savvy, well-connected health care consumers. He was
particularly focused on the importance of better medical training for
primary care physicians who could identify eating disorders and get
patients into the most effective treatment programs as soon as possible.
Patrick Kennedy is the son of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
and Joan Bennett Kennedy. Health care policy has been a priority for
Kennedy family members serving in the U.S. House and Senate. In June the
National Mental Health Association presented its Lifetime Achievement
award to Senator Edward Kennedy.
We thank Representative Jim Ramstad (R-MN)
and Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) for hosting this briefing.
This
briefing is made possible by the generous support of the Eating Disorders
Institute, Park Nicollet Health Services, St. Louis Park, Minn. (Click
here to visit the Eating Disorders Institute.)
Additional financial support was donated by EDC Board
Member Mary Gee in memory of her mother, Wai-Kwan Ho Gee.
