Momentum grows in Congress for mental health parity bill

Old foes have joined to support a bill expanding mental health benefits, but two House members are working on their own version.

By Doug Trapp, AMNews staff. March 5, 2007.

Washington -- After more than a year of intense discussions, mental health advocates, insurance and business associations, and key senators have agreed on a mental health parity bill.

If passed by both chambers, the legislation would end a decade-long congressional deadlock on the issue of equal insurance treatment for mental and physical illnesses.

The measure was introduced Feb. 12 and approved 18-3 two days later by a Senate panel. Supporters are optimistic that with Democrats in power in the House and Senate, a final bill will reach President Bush this Congress. Bush has not commented on the legislation but has supported mental health parity in general. Previous Republican leadership in the House and Senate opposed similar bills.

The Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, as the bill is formally known, would require group health plans with mental health benefits to offer them at the same level as physical health benefits. The measure does not affect the individual insurance market.

Group plans would not be able to offer different deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance, number of visits, annual or lifetime limits, or days of coverage, for example. The bill, which has 31 co-sponsors, also would institute parity for substance abuse treatment. It would fill holes left by the 1996 mental health parity law, which requires lifetime and annual dollar limits on coverage to be equal for mental health and physical conditions.

The legislation is supported by the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage, which includes the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Assn. and American Hospital Assn.