Committee on Education and Labor - U.S. House of Representatives

Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008

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Mental illness and substance abuse affects millions of families across the country. Without treatment, those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse often struggle to hold a job or make ends meet. Today, approximately forty-four million Americans suffer from mental illness, but only one-third receive treatment. A key component of this problem is that private health insurers generally provide less coverage for mental illnesses and substance abuse than for other medical conditions. A 2002 Kaiser Family Foundation study found that, while 98 percent of workers with employer-sponsored health insurance had coverage for mental health care, 74 percent of those workers were subject to annual outpatient visit limits, and 64 percent were subject to annual inpatient daily limits.
 

Ensuring Better Access to Treatment for People Suffering From Mental Illness

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, passed by the House on September 23, 2008 by a vote of 376-47 and included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 signed into law on October 3, 2008, will allow employers to offer more comprehensive mental health coverage without significant additional cost, while significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs for plan participants.

H.R. 6983 does not mandate group health plans provide any mental health coverage. However, if a plan does offer mental health coverage, then, it requires:

  • Equity in financial requirements, such as deductibles, co-payments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket expenses.
  • Equity in treatment limits, such as caps on the frequency or number of visits, limits on days of coverage, or other similar limits on the scope and duration of treatment.
  • Equality in out-of-network coverage.

H.R. 6983 would not affect state laws that offer stronger consumer protections.
 

Support for H.R. 6983

More than 250 national organizations have urged passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.