How the House and Senate mental health care parity bills differ*
Where they Agree:
- Group health care plans can't impose higher cost-sharing requirements for mental health care expenses than for other medical conditions.
- No discriminatory treatment limitations for mental health care services.
- Exempts employers with fewer than 50 employees from parity requirements.
- Exempts employers from parity requirements if upgrading mental health benefits boosts costs by at least 2% the first year after the legislation goes into effect and 1% in succeeding years.
Where they differ:
- House bill does not pre-empt stronger state parity laws; Senate bill pre-empts such laws.
- House bill requires coverage, if medically necessary, of mental disorders that are covered by the health plan with the greatest enrollment offered to federal employees.
*As passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee and House Education and Labor Committee
