Kean files bill for mental health insurance parity

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. filed legislation on Tuesday to require health insurers to provide equal coverage for mental health and substance-use disorders. The bill, which would grant the Labor Department authority to issue fines, allocates $30 million for enforcement of what is known as mental health parity.

Kean introduced the measure one day after revealing he had been absent from Capitol Hill for several months to treat depression. He stated on the House floor in late June that he has supported mental health care for years but now understands the cause in a more personal way.

The congressman has a long history with the issue. In April 2019, he helped sponsor state parity legislation under Gov. Phil Murphy. As a Republican leader in the state Senate during Gov. Chris Christie’s term, he also worked on a bipartisan gun-safety bill that included protections for those with mental health illnesses.

Kean’s federal proposal closely mirrors legislation introduced by Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1st) over the past four Congresses. Norcross said Kean approached him on the day he returned to Washington to work on a mental health bill together. Norcross noted that he would be happy to see the bill move forward, regardless of who sponsors it.

Kean’s record on the issue has drawn scrutiny from advocates. He voted for a federal law passed in the summer of 2025 that could remove an estimated 10 million Americans from health insurance coverage in the next decade. The law requires Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer, or attend school for at least 80 hours per month.

According to the state Department of Human Services, the new work-requirement provision would apply to more than 540,000 adults in New Jersey. Medicaid, known in the state as NJ FamilyCare, covers more than 1.85 million people. Reyna Taylor, vice president of public policy for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, predicted that millions will lose coverage by 2029.

Debra Wentz, president and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, praised Kean for sharing his diagnosis. She said his openness makes the message more believable to people suffering in silence. Kean, who was first elected to Congress in 2022, is currently running against first-time candidate Rebecca Bennett in a tight reelection race.