People who support the bill say it simply codifies quicker pathways that the Food and Drug Administration was already using. But the bill’s extensive scale — from cancer to Alzheimer’s to mental illness and drug addiction — addresses problems that touch nearly every American life. PhotoLawmakers said some of the most significant components of the act are changes to the mental health system that were slipped into the bill late in the process. It strengthens the enforcement of the mental health parity law which requires insurers to cover mental illnesses just as they cover treatment for diseases like cancer or multiple sclerosis. It also provides $1 billion over two years to fight opioid abuse, including expanding access to treatment programs.

Source: New York Times November 29, 2016 02:09 UTC