Senate Passes Bill To Extend 1996 Mental Health Parity Law
The Senate on Thursday by voice vote passed a bill (HR 4579) that would extend for one year a mental health parity law under which health insurers cannot place caps on annual or lifetime mental health benefits unless they place similar caps on medical and surgical benefits, CQ Today reports.
The legislation, sponsored by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair John Boehner (R-Ohio) will extend a 1996 law (PL 104-204) scheduled to expire on Dec. 31. The House passed a similar bill on Dec. 17 (Schuler, CQ Today, 12/22).