Biden, Sebelius Appear At Kennedy Forum Mental Health Summit.

On Wednesday evening, Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius both appeared at the inaugural gala of the Kennedy Forum Mental Health Summit held in Boston, Massachusetts. The forum, which includes a day-long conference today, commemorates the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the Community Mental Health Act, a law that funded mental health centers throughout the US.

The Boston Globe (10/24, Conaboy) reports that Vice President Biden “said Wednesday night that the United States is ‘on the cusp’ of major changes in how mental illness is diagnosed and treated.” In addition, Biden “called provisions of the Affordable Care Act that list treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders as essential health benefits that insurers must pay for.” Also lauding the ACA “as a boon for people suffering from mental illness” was HHS Secretary Sebelius.

Related Links:

— “US ‘on the cusp’ of mental health advances, Biden says, “Chelsea Conaboy, The Boston Globe, October 23, 2013.

Posted in In The News.