Senate passes bill to bolster parity for mental health benefits

Attention now moves to the House, where lawmakers are considering a competing measure.

By Doug Trapp, AMNews staff. Oct. 8, 2007.

Washington -- The Senate unanimously adopted a carefully negotiated mental health parity bill last month, but House lawmakers are trying to pass legislation with stronger provisions.

Supporters of the Senate Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 hailed its passage as a significant step forward after a decade of stalled attempts.

"The Senate bill is a strong measure that will advance the interests of mental health while balancing the interests of employers," said Neil Trautwein, vice president and employee benefits policy counsel for the National Retail Federation and a former parity opponent.

A collection of leading mental health advocacy groups, including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Assn., Mental Health America and Federation of American Hospitals also backed the measure. "We can't miss this opportunity to provide 113 million Americans with equitable coverage," said Pamela Greenberg, chair of the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Health.

A wide array of mental health advocates and former parity opponents in the business and insurance industries negotiated with three Senate bill sponsors for more than a year before reaching an agreement. Opinion varied as to whether the House bill's provisions -- if adopted into a final bill -- would unravel support in the Senate.

Both the Senate and House measures would expand the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, which prohibits group health plans offering mental health benefits from placing lower limits on lifetime or annual spending for those services than they impose on physical health benefits.