Senate Bills - 108th Congress

S. 486—Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003

On February 27, 2003, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) introduced S. 486, the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003. The bill would expand the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) to prohibit a group health plan from imposing treatment limitations or financial requirements on the coverage of mental health benefits unless comparable limitations are imposed on medical and surgical benefits. Full parity would be provided for all categories of mental health conditions listed in the DSM-IV. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.