Senate, House Should 'Move Aggressively' To Pass Mental Health Parity Legislation, Editorial States

The Senate and House "should move aggressively" to pass mental health parity legislation and "send it to President Bush for his signature," a New York Times editorial states. According to the editorial, "the prospects look good for ending the long stalemate" over mental health parity, as Bush has endorsed the practice and "both houses seem poised to enact it." The "most striking development this year is the broad consensus" behind the Senate version of the bill, "the fruit of extended negotiations with employer groups and insurance plans" that previously have opposed similar legislation, the editorial states. The Senate version of the bill, which "focuses simply on ensuring equal cost-sharing and treatment limits," might "not be perfect, but it gives mental health advocates much of what they want," according to the editorial. The House version of the bill would require health insurers to cover the mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders currently covered by the health plan with the largest enrollment of federal employees, the editorial states. The editorial concludes that the House "will need to be careful not to overreach and upset the carefully built compromise" reached with "recalcitrant insurers and employers" (New York Times, 3/24).

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