Mental Health Parity

Background

For over two years, the Chamber has worked with Senators Kennedy, Enzi and Domenici as part of a small group of insurers, mental health advocates, and the business community to draft compromise mental health parity legislation.  These efforts came together with the February 12, 2007 introduction of S. 558, the "Mental Health Parity Act of 2007."  The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions approved the Chairman's mark outlining Mental Health Parity, which defines the equity of physical health versus mental health, rather than placing a mandate on mental health coverage.  This legislation maintains a delicate balance of the required parity and plan protections.

The Chamber continues to work with this group as well as with the House on mental health parity.  The House introduced its version of the bill H.R. 1367 on March 7, 2007, which goes much further on its mandate for parity, and is extremely problematic for the Chamber, employers and insurers. 

U.S. Chamber Position

The Chamber appreciates the truly bipartisan efforts of the carefully crafted Senate legislation, as input from all crucial stakeholders was considered. S. 558 contains a delicate balance that allows employers and health plans to comply with new requirements for financial and treatment parity by preserving plan design flexibility and important medical management practices. The Chamber supports the protection of meaningful plan tools, and supports the Senate bill over the House bill.

Recent Update:

Mental Health Parity Legislative Update

As Congress moves closer to the enactment of MHP legislation, the Chamber, in association with the ad hoc coalition of groups representing employer and insurer interests in the MHP debate, is providing the following documents to aid members in grassroots and lobbying contacts. 

Mental Health Parity Talking Points (Link to 08.2.01- House Mental Health Parity Talkers)

Problems with H.R. 1424 (Link to 08.2.21- House Mental Health Parity Talkers)

House and Senate Mental Health Parity Bill Comparison

Problems with Mandating Out-of-Network Coverage

Joint Chamber-NRF-NAWD Key Vote Letter on House MHP Bill

Senate Passes Mental Health Parity – Supported by Chamber

On September 18 the Senate passed by voice vote S. 558, which is a well-balanced and reasoned approach to mental health parity.  Unfortunately, we do not see the same balanced approach in the House parity bill, H.R. 1424, and would urge that several changes be made to the legislation as it is considered.  The House bill has been reported out of the Education and Labor Committee ( on June 18) and by the Health Subcommittee of Ways and Means Committee (September 19), leaving Energy and Commerce with jurisdiction; thereby, leaving H.R. 1424 in its current version as the bill that would be sent to conference with the Senate.  We are continuing to meet with House staff to alert them to our concerns.  We are also meeting with Senate staff to reinforce our commitment to the Senate bill.  We encourage you to contact your Representatives and encourage their support of the Senate bill.

For the Chamber's talking points on Mental Health Parity or a joint letter of the issue, please see the "resources" section to the right.