Millions of Americans live with a mental illness and do not have access to appropriate or adequate treatment.  Approximately 57.7 million Americans experience a mental health disorder annually.  The tragic shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007 highlighted the importance of access to early and adequate mental health services. 

In response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I introduced legislation that followed recommendations in a 2007 report prepared by the Virginia Tech Review Panel, as well as a similar report prepared by the U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Education.  Both reports specifically cited clarifying the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act as an important step in preventing future tragedies.  On April 15, 2008, I introduced the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Amendments of 2008, along with Senator John Warner, to spell out how and when educational institutions can share students’ health care records with law enforcement.  This bill is designed to clarify that federal education privacy laws do not impede an on-campus counseling center’s professional judgment to share students’ health care records with outside health care providers.

I am pleased that the U.S. Secretary of Education took the needed steps to clarify rules regarding disclosure of student records and has distributed further guidance to our public schools.  The steps taken by the U.S. Secretary of Education are consistent with the goals in my legislation.

Historically, private health plans provide less coverage for mental illnesses relative to physical illnesses.  These insurers have imposed lower annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health coverage.  They have limited the treatment of mental health illnesses by covering fewer hospital days and outpatient office visits. And they have increased cost sharing for mental health care by raising deductibles and copayments.  In an effort to fix this inequity, I cosponsored the bipartisan Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, which requires insurers to provide equal coverage of mental health benefits and medical/surgical benefits.