CENTER CITY, Minnesota (Nov. 6, 2020) – The late U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad, whose personal recovery from addiction led to a life of helping others, will be remembered as a driving force behind historic federal legislation that made it illegal for health insurance plans to discriminate against people with substance use and mental health disorders—expanding access to hope and healing for millions.
"Like former First Lady Betty Ford, Congressman Ramstad inspired people throughout the country by sharing openly about his experience with addiction and recovery," said Mark Mishek, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services.
"The Congressman used his national leadership platform to demonstrate that the disease of addiction can affect anyone and that recovery is possible, and to give voice to the needs of people everywhere whose own voices are often silenced by public stigma and private shame. His championing of 'parity' legislation changed the course of history for the behavioral healthcare field and for the many millions of Americans affected by addiction and mental health concerns."
Ramstad—who passed away Nov. 5 at his home in Wayzata, Minn., at age 74—served in Congress from 1991 to 2009, representing Minnesota's third district. A Republican known for pragmatic bipartisanship, he was one of four lead sponsors—along with Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and Sens. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., and Pete Domenici, R-N.M.—of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which passed in 2008 after 12 years of advocacy and was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The parity law helps prevent many group health plans and health insurance issuers from imposing less-favorable limitations on mental health and addiction treatment benefits than on medical and surgical benefits.
"Parity passed the same year I started at Hazelden Betty Ford and was the spark within healthcare that eventually helped make it possible for us to transition from a primarily self-pay model to one where almost all of our patients are able to utilize insurance benefits," Mishek said. "As a result, our care is accessible to many more people and today we're serving twice as many patients—which wouldn't likely be possible if not for the parity law and its influence on other policies, insurance practices and consumer expectations. The impact of the parity law has been huge and will be felt for years."
Early in his retirement, Ramstad served as an advisor to the Hazelden Foundation, which later merged with the Betty Ford Center to become the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Throughout his 39 years of sobriety, Ramstad supported countless friends, colleagues and total strangers on their roads to recovery. He lived by and frequently referred to the Serenity Prayer—a popular source of wisdom within Alcoholics Anonymous—once famously saying, "If we could turn Congress into one big AA meeting, where people would be required to say what they mean and mean what they say, it would be a lot better Congress."
During the dozen years the parity bill was debated in Washington, D.C., William C. Moyers, Hazelden Betty Ford's vice president of community relations and public affairs, made many trips to Capitol Hill to advocate for the legislation. Early in his own recovery and advocacy at that point, Moyers said Ramstad became a mentor and role model.
"When it came to people who needed addiction treatment and recovery support, and people like me who wanted to help and advocate for others, Jim was everyone's loudest and most effective champion," Moyers said. "He set a great example, turning his personal story into the public opportunity to prove in Congress that addiction is a bipartisan illness that demands a bipartisan solution. It took a long time before an opportunity emerged to pass the parity bill. But Jim never gave up leading the charge to end discrimination by insurance companies against people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. His perseverance and leadership will be making a difference in people lives for generations to come."
Dean Peterson, Ramstad's longtime chief of staff who later became a communications and government relations leader at Hazelden Betty Ford, said the parity bill was Ramstad's proudest of many legislative achievements, and indicative of his values.
"He really sought to live and embody recovery principles like service to others, especially those who are most vulnerable, and that's what drove his devotion to the parity bill," Peterson said. "He was forever grateful for the opportunity to work on something so important to so many, and we are all grateful for the legacy of love, service, dignity and respect he leaves behind."