WASHINGTON – Democrat members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor rejected bipartisan legislation on Wednesday that would ensure parity between mental health and medical/surgical benefits provided by employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
A committee press release notes that the legislation “was offered as an amendment during the panel’s consideration of a more over-reaching House Democrat alternative, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424), a measure which would saddle employers with more costly mandates, leading Republicans to warn that diminished healthcare coverage for American workers could be on the way.”
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, offered the bipartisan language, which is similar to a measure passed earlier this year by a Senate committee.
“The Senate bill is the product of two years of bipartisan negotiations between a broad, well-respected group of senators, mental health advocates, providers, and business groups, who represent virtually all interests in this debate,” said Rep. Kline. “It is my understanding that these groups have negotiated in good faith on many difficult issues, and that their work has resulted in a compromise acceptable to everyone.”
The legislation rejected yesterday by the House committee contains new federal mental health benefit mandates on employers. “For example, under the House Democrat bill, virtually every mental illness defined by the mental health profession would be required to be covered by plans, even though most states currently do not mandate this type of coverage. The House Democrat bill applies no similar requirement on any other category of benefits covered by a plan, including hospital services, physician services, and prescription drug benefits,” according to the press release.
“The fatal flaws contained in the House Democrat bill would thrust upon employers more mandates, more costs, and more reason to restrict worker coverage or flee the voluntary benefits system altogether,” said committee member Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA). “I hope that as it becomes clearer how unworkable this Democrat bill truly is, we will have the opportunity to work together toward legislation…that provides real parity between the coverage of mental and physical illnesses.”
NACS opposes legislation that would create additional federal mandates and therefore make it more difficult for retailers to provide affordable healthcare to their employees.