Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2015
Bill journey · stage 2 of 5
Under committee review
What it doesSummary introduced in house (Dec 16, 2015)
Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2015
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and Internal Revenue Code to direct the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury to require group health plans and health insurers to disclose the analyses performed to ensure compliance of plans or coverage with the law and regulations. Disclosures must include findings and conclusions regarding whether nonquantitative treatment limitations (e.g., tiered benefits, step therapy, or preauthorization) applied to mental health or substance use disorder benefits are comparable to, and applied no more stringently than, such limitations on medical and surgical benefits.
HHS, Labor, and Treasury must: (1) issue guidance on the process for current and potential participants and beneficiaries to file formal complaints of plans or insurers being in violation of the requirement for parity between mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical and surgical benefits, (2) conduct audits of plans and insurers to determine compliance with parity requirements and publish information from those audits, and (3) publish information on denials of claims by plans and insurers for mental health and substance use disorder services compared to denials of claims for medical and surgical services.
HHS must establish a consumer parity portal website that allows for submission of complaints and provides information to consumers on parity.
The Government Accountability Office must report on HHS, Labor, and Treasury efforts to enforce parity.What just happenedMar 23, 2016
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
Who’s behind it
- Introduced in HouseDec 16, 2015
- Mar 23, 2016Committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee - Dec 18, 2015Committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Health Subcommittee - Dec 16, 2015IntroReferralH11100
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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.
Ways and Means Committee - Dec 16, 2015IntroReferralH11100
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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.
Education and the Workforce Committee - Dec 16, 2015IntroReferralH11100-A
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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.
- Dec 16, 2015IntroReferralH11100
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, 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.
Energy and Commerce Committee - Dec 16, 2015IntroReferralIntro-H
Introduced in House
- Dec 16, 2015IntroReferral1000
Introduced in House