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Senate Introduces Parity Bill 

On Monday, February 12, 2007, Senator Pete Domenici and 21 cosponsors, including Senator Edward Kennedy, introduced S. 558, the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, to Congress.   

While this bill requires that a health plan provide both equal treatment limits and financial requirements for "mental health benefits, as compared to medical and surgical benefits under the plan, the bill does not specify the disorders covered.  Instead, the definition is left to the Plan or Carrier, e.g., a Plan could decide that treatment for substance use disorders entails detoxification only.  Furthermore, the determination of medical necessity criteria are left to the discretion of the Plan or Carrier.  This bill also preempts state laws that may provide stronger benefits and consumer protections than those provided in this federal bill.

Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ to find the text of the bill.  Select "Bill Number" in the search option.  Enter "S 558" and hit "Search."


National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month  Cover the Uninsured

Advocacy Action Items

 

Urge Congress to Pass A Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act this Year

 

Both the US House and US Senate have passed bills that would require certain group health plans to offer mental health and addiction insurance benefits that are on par with the benefits provided for medical and surgical services.  Now, the two chambers of Congress must reconcile the significant differences in these two bills and send a single, compromise bill to the President for his signature.  Please urge your Member of Congress to make this happen:  1. Call, fax or email your Senators and ask them to sign on to a letter currently circulating on Capitol Hill that encourages passage of parity legislation this year.  2.  Ask your Senators to please compromise specifically in the areas of definition of diseases covered, out of network benefits, transparency and consistency of medical necessity criteria and protection of state laws.  3.  Call, fax or email your Representative and ask him/her to please consider compromises on the House bill in order to pass parity legislation this year.  [Contact your U.S. Representative]  [Contact your U.S. Senator] 


Support the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, H.R. 1108, S. 625 
 

On February 15, 2007, both chambers of Congress introduced legislation that would authorize the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products.  Urge your Members of Congress to support these bills!  [Contact your U.S. Representative]  [Contact your U.S. Senator] 

 


 

 


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