Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008
Latest action · Sep 23, 2008 Received in the Senate.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedSep 22, 2008
- Passed HouseSep 23, 2008
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health or substance use disorder benefits to ensure that: (1) the financial requirements, such as deductibles and copayments, applicable to such mental health or substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than the predominant financial requirements applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan; (2) there are no separate cost sharing requirements that are applicable only with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits; (3) the treatment limitations applicable to such mental health or substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than the predominant treatment limitations applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan; and (4) there are no separate treatment limitations that are applicable only with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits.
Requires the criteria for medical necessity determinations and the reason for any denial of reimbursement or payment for services made under the plan with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits to be made available by the plan administrator.
Requires the plan to provide out-of network coverage for mental health or substance use disorder benefits if the plan provides coverage for medical or surgical benefits provided by out-of network providers.
Exempts from the requirements of this Act a group health plan if the application of this Act results in an increase for the plan year of the actual total costs of coverage with respect to medical and surgical benefits and mental health and substance use disorder benefits by an amount that exceeds 2% for the first plan year and 1% for each subsequent plan year. Requires determinations as to increases in actual costs under a plan to be made and certified by a qualified and licensed actuary.
Requires determinations for such an exemption to be made after such plan has complied with this Act for the first six months of the plan year.
Sets forth requirements for notifications of exemptions under this Act, including notification of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the appropriate state agencies, and participants and beneficiaries in the plan.
Authorizes the Secretary and the appropriate state agency to audit the books and records of a group health plan relating to an exemption.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to the appropriate congressional committees on compliance of group health plans with the requirements of this Act; and (2) publish guidance and information concerning the requirements of this Act and provide assistance concerning such requirements and the continued operation of applicable state law.
Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the specific rates, patterns, and trends in coverage and exclusion of specific mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses by health plans and health insurance.
(Sec. 3) - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) delay until 2013 the application of special rules for the worldwide allocation of interest for purposes of computing the limitation on the foreign tax credit; and (2) increase the amount of interest allocable to sources within the United States from 30 to 85% in the first taxable year in which the worldwide allocation of interest applies.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 625 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed376–47 | Sep 23, 2008 |
Cosponsors 7
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Sep 22, 2008.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NY | Charles B. Rangel | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
| D-CA | Fortney Pete Stark | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
| D-NJ | Frank Pallone, Jr. | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
| D-CA | Henry A. Waxman | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
| R-MN | Jim Ramstad | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
| D-MI | John D. Dingell | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
| D-NJ | Robert E. Andrews | Original | Sep 22, 2008 |
Committees 3
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Sep 22, 2008 |
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Sep 22, 2008 |
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred Sep 22, 2008 |
Actions 11
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 23, 2008Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 23, 2008Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8614-8625)
- Sep 23, 2008DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6983.
- Sep 23, 2008At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- Sep 23, 2008Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8657-8658)
In the Congressional Record 4
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E2036, E2078, E2085, E2086 | Betty McCollum D-MN, Carolyn B. Maloney D-NY, George Miller D-CA | Sep 27, 2008 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E2015 | Anna G. Eshoo D-CA | Sep 26, 2008 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E1915 | Barbara Lee D-CA, Bob Etheridge D-NC | Sep 25, 2008 |
| House · Senate | Debate and remarks H8614–H8625, S9262Text printed H8614–H8618Recorded votes H8657enact | Bill Pascrell, Jr. D-NJ, Brian Baird D-WA, Chris Van Hollen D-MD, Christopher Shays R-CT, Fortney Pete Stark D-CA, Frank Pallone, Jr. D-NJ, George Miller D-CA, Grace F. Napolitano D-CA, Jim Ramstad R-MN, Joe Courtney D-CT, John B. Larson D-CT, John D. Dingell D-MI, Lee Terry R-NE, Patrick J. Kennedy D-RI, Patrick J. Murphy D-PA, Rahm Emanuel D-IL, Richard J. Durbin D-IL, Robert E. Andrews D-NJ, Rush Holt D-NJ, Sander M. Levin D-MI, Susan A. Davis D-CA | Sep 23, 2008 |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 558 | Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 | Related bill | Oct 17, 2007 |
| HR 1367 | Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 | Related bill | Jun 5, 2007 |
| HR 1424 | A bill to provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. | Related bill | Oct 3, 2008 |
| HR 7202 | Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2008 | Related bill | Oct 2, 2008 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, section 2705 of the Public Health Service Act, and section 9812 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require equity in the provision of mental health and substance-related disorder benefits under group health plans, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Auditing
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Coinsurance
- Commerce
- Congress
- Congressional investigations
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Discrimination in insurance
- Discrimination in medical care
- Drug abuse
- Drug abuse treatment
- Drug addiction
- Employee health benefits
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government publicity
- Health
- Health insurance
- Income tax
- Interest
- Labor and Employment
- Medical economics
- Mental health services
- Mental illness
- Small business
- Taxation
- Taxation of foreign income
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 23, 2008Received in Senate
- Sep 23, 2008Engrossed in House
- Sep 22, 2008Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
