House Passes Mental Health Parity Bill

By a vote of 268-148, the US House of Representatives on March 5th passed its version of the mental health insurance parity bill (HR 1424), setting up negotiation with the Senate, which passed its version (S 558) unanimously this past fall. Both bills require group health plans to cover mental illness and substance abuse disorders on the same terms and conditions as all other illnesses however; there are important differences between the House and Senate bills that must be resolved.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has compiled information on this important issue. Together, they have further examined differences between S 558 and HR 1424 and evaluated what future steps must be taken to achieve mental health parity throughout the Nation.

Click here to visit the NAMI website and learn more about this important legislation.