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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 953 (108th)

Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

27 February 2003

Last action

24 March 2003 · Referred

Status

Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.

Sponsors

Rep. Kennedy, Patrick J. [D-RI-1], Rep. Ramstad, Jim [R-MN-3], Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4], Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13], Rep. Murtha, John P. [D-PA-12], Rep. Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2], Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15], Rep. Abercrombie, Neil [D-HI-1], Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-11], Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32], Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18], Rep. Andrews, Robert E. [D-NJ-1], Rep. Becerra, Xavier [D-CA-34], Rep. Berkley, Shelley [D-NV-1], Rep. Carson, Julia [D-IN-7], Rep. Farr, Sam [D-CA-20], Rep. Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2], Rep. Green, Gene [D-TX-29], Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4], Rep. Holden, Tim [D-PA-17], Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1], Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12], Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12], Rep. Matsui, Robert T. [D-CA-5], Rep. Meehan, Martin T. [D-MA-5], Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ], Rep. Mollohan, Alan B. [D-WV-1], Rep. Moran, James P. [D-VA-8], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6], Rep. Pelosi, Nancy [D-CA-11], Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM], Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Bishop, Timothy H. [D-NY-1], Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-8], Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12], Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7], Rep. Owens, Major R. [D-NY-11], Rep. Strickland, Ted [D-OH-6], Rep. Ballance, Frank W., Jr. [D-NC-1], Rep. Costello, Jerry F. [D-IL-12], Rep. Miller, Gary G. [R-CA-42], Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13], Rep. Woolsey, Lynn C. [D-CA-6], Rep. Levin, Sander M. [D-MI-12], Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1], Del. Christensen, Donna M. [D-VI-At Large]

Subjects

Healthcare

Source updated

23 March 2026

Healthcare

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Summary

Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain employee group health plans or related insurances providing both medical-surgical and mental health benefits from imposing mental health treatment limitations or financial requirements unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits. States that the foregoing shall not be construed as requiring a group health plan (or related insurances) to: (1) provide any mental health benefits; (2) prevent the medical management of mental health benefits; or (3) require the provision of specific mental health services, except to the extent that failure to provide such services would result in a disparity between the coverage of mental health and medical-surgical benefits. Exempts specified small employers from such requirements. Requires that, in the case of a group health plan that offers a participant or beneficiary two or more benefit package options, the coverage requirements shall be applied separately with respect to each such option. Provides that, in the case of a plan or insurance providing in-network mental health benefits, out-of-network mental health benefits need not be provided at parity to medical-surgical benefits, as long as in-network mental health benefits are provided at parity with medical-surgical benefits and the plan or insurance provides reasonable access to in-network providers and facilities. Requires a General Accounting Office study of such requirements' effects upon health insurance costs, access, and quality and a cost estimation of extending such requirements to the treatment of substance abuse and chemical dependency.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 27 February 2003

    Introduced

    Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 27 February 2003

    Introduced

    Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 27 February 2003

    Introduced

    Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E312)

    Source: IntroReferral

  4. 27 February 2003

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  5. 27 February 2003

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  6. 10 March 2003

    Referred

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.

    Source: Committee

  7. 24 March 2003

    Referred

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.

    Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in House (text)

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  • Introduced in House (text)

    Introduced in House · EN · 27 February 2003

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  • Introduced in House (PDF)

    Introduced in House · EN · 27 February 2003

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  • Introduced in House

    summary · EN · 27 February 2003

    Open at official source

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Sponsors

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Related records

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Sources

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