“We’re Pushing for More Accountability” — Patrick Kennedy on Latest in Mental Health Parity Fight
Wednesday, December 04, 2019
Former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy joined GoLocal LIVE where he spoke to the latest in spearheading efforts to advocate for mental health parity, both from insurers and as well as in treatment — and why he believes his cousin, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, is the best candidate for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in this year’s election.
“People can go on the KennedyForum.org or dontdenyme.org to learn more about what we’re doing — we’re trying to bolster advocacy. We’ve used the parity law — which I had the honor of writing — as an example of why we need to push advocacy in a more unified way,” said Kennedy.
"Everyone benefits from parity — whether you’re someone who’s suffering from an addiction or mental illness — which everyone should be united behind, but parity’s not just about insurance discrimination," said Kennedy. "It’s about treating people with these illnesses with the same urgency that we would if you had cancer or HIV aids. So what we’re pushing for is more accountability."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSupporting Cousin — Congressman Joe Kennedy III — for Senate
Kennedy spoke to supporting his cousin, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, who is running to unseat incumbent Senator Ed Markey in Massachusetts.
“We’re not living through anything like ordinary times. These are among the most tumultuous times we’ll ever see in the life of our nation, when you think about the norms that have been cast aside, the belief in our democratic processes that are being disregarded,” said Kennedy. “And so we really need to mount a commensurate effort to promote those great Democratic traditions and values that have made our country the great country that everyone else in the world looks to for leadership.”
“I believe that my cousin Joe has all of the abilities — to say that he’s not prepared to take on any set of challenges is ignoring the fact that he graduated top in his class in engineering from Stanford, went on to the Peace Corps, learned Spanish fluently, went on to get his law degree from Harvard, became an assistant DA on the Cape and Suffolk County, and now having been in Congress for over three terms, he’s an example of a person while he’s young, he has extraordinary experience," said Kennedy. "I believe the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the region of New England needs the kind of voice that my late father brought to the bay state when he represented Massachusetts."
Related Articles
- Bobby Kennedy’s Granddaughter Name-Drops Brown During Arrest in Hyannis Port
- Robert Whitcomb: Robots Consuming Wall St. Jobs; New Stadium Redux? Temples to the Kennedys
- Legalizing Marijuana is “Throwing Gasoline” on Addiction Fire, Says Former Congressman Kennedy
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Stewart: Patrick Kennedy Should Learn from Family History
- LIVE: Public Art Organization, The Avenue Concept, on Ccopacatty’s Kennedy Plaza Installation
- VIDEO: Kennedy Family Tragedies Through the Years
- Saoirse Kennedy Hill, 22, Dies at Kennedy Compound
- Whitcomb: Growing Cranberries and Electricity; 5G vs. Weather Forecasts; Kennedy Renaissance?
- Rep. Joe Kennedy Announces Campaign for U.S Senate
- VIDEO: President Kennedy’s Visit to Rhode Island, 2 Months Before His Assassination
- Vincent Igliozzi Passes, Patriarch of the ‘Kennedys of the 7th Ward’ UPDATED
- Our Environment: “John F. Kennedy’s Words” By Scott Turner
