The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lesser wins Legislative Leadership Award
MIDDLETOWN — State Sen. Matt Lesser, DMiddletown, was honored recently by the Keep the Promise Coalition with the prestigious Legislative Leadership Award for leading passage of the Mental Health Parity Act at the Middletown Elks Club.
He was also honored for his continued commitment to protecting the rights of people living with mental health conditions, according to a press release.
“Every family has a story. That’s why I’ve been so committed to erasing the stigma of mental health and substance abuse,” Lesser said in a prepared statement.
He is also the Senate chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee.
“That’s why we fought so hard to pass mental health parity — to ensure that insurance covers diseases of the brain just like anything else,” Lesser said in the release.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the work of advocates who made this possible and shared their stories. I know without a doubt that this law will save lives,” Lesser said.
At the KTP Coalition’s 20th anniversary awards luncheon, the senator received the award with the House chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee state Rep. Sean Scanlon, DGuilford.
State Rep. Brenda Kupchick, RFairfield, also received the honor for her work regarding the
Mental Health Parity Act, according to the release.
The cochair people of the KTP Coalition applauded Lesser for his leadership.
“The members of the Keep The Promise Coalition have been advocating for passage of a mental health parity bill so that the promise of equality in coverage for mental and physical health conditions would be made real,” Kathy Flaherty and Paul Acker said in the prepared statement.
The law prohibits insurance companies from enforcing more inflexible limits on mental health and substance use disorder benefits than they would for medical and surgical benefits.
Additionally, it requires insurance coverage of substance abuse services if required by a court and requires insurance companies to file annual reports with the state certifying that they are complying with the Mental Health Parity Act. The legislation was signed into law July 8.