House Committee Approves Mental Health Parity Legislation
LaMarr
On Wednesday, July 18, 2007 , the House Education and Labor Committee
approved H.R. 1424, the "Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction
Equity Act." The bill, named in honor of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone
(D-MN), and introduced by Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad
(R-MN), passed the Committee by a bipartisan vote of 33 to 9. The goal
of the legislation is to provide greater access to mental health and
addiction treatment services.
H.R. 1424 expands the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 by requiring
group health plans that offer benefits for mental health and addiction
to do so on the same terms as coverage for other diseases. The
legislation closes loopholes enacted in 1996 that allow plans to
charge higher co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles, and maximum out-
of-pocket limits and impose lower day and visit limits on mental
health and addiction treatment. The bill specifies that if a plan
provides mental health benefits, then it must cover conditions
provided by the health plan with the highest average enrollment of
federal employees in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)
program.
The Senate legislation, S. 558, the "Mental Health Parity Act of
2007," introduced by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Pete Domenici (R-NM)
and Mike Enzi (R-WY), also provides coverage for mental health and
addiction disorders, but allows insurers to determine which disorders
are covered. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Commission passed their version of the legislation in February of
2007.
A key difference between the House and Senate versions of mental
health parity legislation is that the Senate bill allows for pre-
emption of stronger mental health parity laws that have been passed in
some states. During today's consideration of H.R. 1424 by the House
Education and Labor Committee, an amendment was offered and defeated
to allow pre-emption of these stronger state laws.
Full House and Senate floor consideration has not yet been scheduled
on either bill. Updates on mental health parity legislation will be
provided as developments occur, and when a grassroots action is
needed, and will be available in E-News from Washington, the Advocate,
as well as other AMHCA publications.
For additional information on this or any other issue, please contact
Beth Powell, AMHCA's director of public policy and professional
issues, at 800-326-2642, ext. 105, or by e-mail at bpo...@amhca.org
Beth Powell
Director, Public Policy and Professional Issues
American Mental Health Counselors Association
The only organization working exclusively for mental health counselors
801 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 304
Alexandria , VA 22314
Phone: 703-548-6002, ext. 105
FAX: 703-548-4775
Website: www.amhca.org
E-mail: bpo...@amhca.org
Mark your calendar now: July 26-28, 2007
AMHCA's Annual Conference in New Orleans