[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1977 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1977

 To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, Public 
 Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
 parity with respect to substance abuse treatment benefits under group 
              health plans and health insurance coverage.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 27, 1999

 Mr. Ramstad (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. English, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
 Luther, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Portman, Mrs. Bono, Mr. Stark, 
   Mr. Payne, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Frost, and Mr. Upton) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, Public 
 Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
 parity with respect to substance abuse treatment benefits under group 
              health plans and health insurance coverage.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson Substance 
Abuse Treatment Parity Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Substance abuse, if left untreated, is a medical 
        emergency.
            (2) Parity should apply to benefits for treatment sought 
        voluntarily, including treatment for substance abuse.
            (3) Nothing in this Act should be construed as prohibiting 
        application of the concept of parity to substance abuse 
        treatment provided by faith-based treatment providers.

SEC. 3. PARITY IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT BENEFITS.

    (a) Group Health Plans.--
            (1) Public health service act amendments.--
                    (A) In general.--Subpart 2 of part A of title XXVII 
                of the Public Health Service Act is amended by adding 
                at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 2707. PARITY IN THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENT LIMITATIONS AND 
              FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT 
              BENEFITS.

    ``(a) In General.--In the case of a group health plan (or health 
insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) that 
provides both medical and surgical benefits and substance abuse 
treatment benefits, the plan or coverage shall not impose treatment 
limitations or financial requirements on the substance abuse treatment 
benefits unless similar limitations or requirements are imposed for 
medical and surgical benefits.
    ``(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed--
            ``(1) as requiring a group health plan (or health insurance 
        coverage offered in connection with such a plan) to provide any 
        substance abuse treatment benefits; or
            ``(2) to prevent a group health plan or a health insurance 
        issuer offering group health insurance coverage from 
        negotiating the level and type of reimbursement with a provider 
        for care provided in accordance with this section.
    ``(c) Exemptions.--
            ``(1) Small employer exemption.--
                    ``(A) In general.--This section shall not apply to 
                any group health plan (and group health insurance 
                coverage offered in connection with a group health 
                plan) for any plan year of a small employer.
                    ``(B) Small employer.--For purposes of subparagraph 
                (A), the term `small employer' means, in connection 
                with a group health plan with respect to a calendar 
                year and a plan year, an employer who employed an 
                average of at least 2 but not more than 50 employees on 
                business days during the preceding calendar year and 
                who employs at least 2 employees on the first day of 
                the plan year.
                    ``(C) Application of certain rules in determination 
                of employer size.--For purposes of this paragraph--
                            ``(i) Application of aggregation rule for 
                        employers.--Rules similar to the rules under 
                        subsections (b), (c), (m), and (o) of section 
                        414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall 
                        apply for purposes of treating persons as a 
                        single employer.
                            ``(ii) Employers not in existence in 
                        preceding year.--In the case of an employer 
                        which was not in existence throughout the 
                        preceding calendar year, the determination of 
                        whether such employer is a small employer shall 
                        be based on the average number of employees 
                        that it is reasonably expected such employer 
                        will employ on business days in the current 
                        calendar year.
                            ``(iii) Predecessors.--Any reference in 
                        this paragraph to an employer shall include a 
                        reference to any predecessor of such employer.
            ``(2) Increased cost exemption.--This section shall not 
        apply with respect to a group health plan (or health insurance 
        coverage offered in connection with a group health plan) if the 
        application of this section to such plan (or to such coverage) 
        results in an increase in the cost under the plan (or for such 
        coverage) of at least 1 percent.
    ``(d) Separate Application to Each Option Offered.--In the case of 
a group health plan that offers a participant or beneficiary two or 
more benefit package options under the plan, the requirements of this 
section shall be applied separately with respect to each such option.
    ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Treatment limitation.--The term `treatment 
        limitation' means, with respect to benefits under a group 
        health plan or health insurance coverage, any day or visit 
        limits imposed on coverage of benefits under the plan or 
        coverage during a period of time.
            ``(2) Financial requirement.--The term `financial 
        requirement' means, with respect to benefits under a group 
        health plan or health insurance coverage, any deductible, 
        coinsurance, or cost-sharing or an annual or lifetime dollar 
        limit imposed with respect to the benefits under the plan or 
        coverage.
            ``(3) Medical or surgical benefits.--The term `medical or 
        surgical benefits' means benefits with respect to medical or 
        surgical services, as defined under the terms of the plan or 
        coverage (as the case may be), but does not include substance 
        abuse treatment benefits.
            ``(4) Substance abuse treatment benefits.--The term 
        `substance abuse treatment benefits' means benefits with 
        respect to substance abuse treatment services but only insofar 
        as such treatment services are abstinence-based. Such term 
        includes non-narcotic medication-based therapy and appropriate 
        transitional medication-based therapy.
            ``(5) Substance abuse treatment services.--The term 
        `substance abuse services' means any of the following items and 
        services provided for the treatment of substance abuse:
                    ``(A) Inpatient treatment, including 
                detoxification.
                    ``(B) Non-hospital residential treatment.
                    ``(C) Outpatient treatment, including screening and 
                assessment, medication management, individual, group, 
                and family counseling, and relapse prevention.
                    ``(D) Prevention services, including health 
                education and individual and group counseling to 
                encourage the reduction of risk factors for substance 
                abuse.
            ``(6) Substance abuse.--The term `substance abuse' includes 
        chemical dependency.
    ``(f) Notice.--A group health plan under this part shall comply 
with the notice requirement under section 714(f) of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 with respect to the requirements 
of this section as if such section applied to such plan.
    ``(g) Sunset.--This section shall not apply to benefits for 
services furnished in plan years beginning on or after January 1, 
2005.''.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--Section 2723(c) of such 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-23(c)) is amended by striking 
                ``section 2704'' and inserting ``sections 2704 and 
                2707''.
            (2) ERISA amendments.--
                    (A) In general.--Subpart B of part 7 of subtitle B 
                of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security 
                Act of 1974 is amended by adding at the end the 
                following new section:

``SEC. 714. PARITY IN THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENT LIMITATIONS AND 
              FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT 
              BENEFITS.

    ``(a) In General.--In the case of a group health plan (or health 
insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) that 
provides both medical and surgical benefits and substance abuse 
treatment benefits, the plan or coverage shall not impose treatment 
limitations or financial requirements on the substance abuse treatment 
benefits unless similar limitations or requirements are imposed for 
medical and surgical benefits.
    ``(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed--
            ``(1) as requiring a group health plan (or health insurance 
        coverage offered in connection with such a plan) to provide any 
        substance abuse treatment benefits; or
            ``(2) to prevent a group health plan or a health insurance 
        issuer offering group health insurance coverage from 
        negotiating the level and type of reimbursement with a provider 
        for care provided in accordance with this section.
    ``(c) Exemptions.--
            ``(1) Small employer exemption.--
                    ``(A) In general.--This section shall not apply to 
                any group health plan (and group health insurance 
                coverage offered in connection with a group health 
                plan) for any plan year of a small employer.
                    ``(B) Small employer.--For purposes of subparagraph 
                (A), the term `small employer' means, in connection 
                with a group health plan with respect to a calendar 
                year and a plan year, an employer who employed an 
                average of at least 2 but not more than 50 employees on 
                business days during the preceding calendar year and 
                who employs at least 2 employees on the first day of 
                the plan year.
                    ``(C) Application of certain rules in determination 
                of employer size.--For purposes of this paragraph--
                            ``(i) Application of aggregation rule for 
                        employers.--Rules similar to the rules under 
                        subsections (b), (c), (m), and (o) of section 
                        414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall 
                        apply for purposes of treating persons as a 
                        single employer.
                            ``(ii) Employers not in existence in 
                        preceding year.--In the case of an employer 
                        which was not in existence throughout the 
                        preceding calendar year, the determination of 
                        whether such employer is a small employer shall 
                        be based on the average number of employees 
                        that it is reasonably expected such employer 
                        will employ on business days in the current 
                        calendar year.
                            ``(iii) Predecessors.--Any reference in 
                        this paragraph to an employer shall include a 
                        reference to any predecessor of such employer.
            ``(2) Increased cost exemption.--This section shall not 
        apply with respect to a group health plan (or health insurance 
        coverage offered in connection with a group health plan) if the 
        application of this section to such plan (or to such coverage) 
        results in an increase in the cost under the plan (or for such 
        coverage) of at least 1 percent.
    ``(d) Separate Application to Each Option Offered.--In the case of 
a group health plan that offers a participant or beneficiary two or 
more benefit package options under the plan, the requirements of this 
section shall be applied separately with respect to each such option.
    ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Treatment limitation.--The term `treatment 
        limitation' means, with respect to benefits under a group 
        health plan or health insurance coverage, any day or visit 
        limits imposed on coverage of benefits under the plan or 
        coverage during a period of time.
            ``(2) Financial requirement.--The term `financial 
        requirement' means, with respect to benefits under a group 
        health plan or health insurance coverage, any deductible, 
        coinsurance, or cost-sharing or an annual or lifetime dollar 
        limit imposed with respect to the benefits under the plan or 
        coverage.
            ``(3) Medical or surgical benefits.--The term `medical or 
        surgical benefits' means benefits with respect to medical or 
        surgical services, as defined under the terms of the plan or 
        coverage (as the case may be), but does not include substance 
        abuse treatment benefits.
            ``(4) Substance abuse treatment benefits.--The term 
        `substance abuse treatment benefits' means benefits with 
        respect to substance abuse treatment services but only insofar 
        as such treatment services are abstinence-based. Such term 
        includes non-narcotic medication-based therapy and appropriate 
        transitional medication-based therapy.
            ``(5) Substance abuse treatment services.--The term 
        `substance abuse services' means any of the following items and 
        services provided for the treatment of substance abuse:
                    ``(A) Inpatient treatment, including 
                detoxification.
                    ``(B) Non-hospital residential treatment.
                    ``(C) Outpatient treatment, including screening and 
                assessment, medication management, individual, group, 
                and family counseling, and relapse prevention.
                    ``(D) Prevention services, including health 
                education and individual and group counseling to 
                encourage the reduction of risk factors for substance 
                abuse.
            ``(6) Substance abuse.--The term `substance abuse' includes 
        chemical dependency.
    ``(f) Notice Under Group Health Plan.--The imposition of the 
requirements of this section shall be treated as a material 
modification in the terms of the plan described in section 102(a)(1), 
for purposes of assuring notice of such requirements under the plan; 
except that the summary description required to be provided under the 
last sentence of section 104(b)(1) with respect to such modification 
shall be provided by not later than 60 days after the first day of the 
first plan year in which such requirements apply.
    ``(g) Sunset.--This section shall not apply to benefits for 
services furnished in plan years beginning on or after January 1, 
2005.''.
            (B) Section 731(c) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1191(c)) is 
        amended by striking ``section 711'' and inserting ``sections 
        711 and 714''.
            (C) Section 732(a) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1191a(a)) is 
        amended by striking ``section 711'' and inserting ``sections 
        711 and 714''.
            (D) The table of contents in section 1 of such Act is 
        amended by inserting after the item relating to section 713 the 
        following new item:

``Sec. 714. Parity in the application of treatment limitations and 
                            financial requirements to substance abuse 
                            treatment benefits.''.
            (3) Internal revenue code amendments.--(A) Subchapter B of 
        chapter 100 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to 
        other requirements) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new section:

``SEC. 9813. PARITY IN THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENT LIMITATIONS AND 
              FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT 
              BENEFITS.

    ``(a) In General.--In the case of a group health plan that provides 
both medical and surgical benefits and substance abuse treatment 
benefits, the plan shall not impose treatment limitations or financial 
requirements on the substance abuse treatment benefits unless similar 
limitations or requirements are imposed for medical and surgical 
benefits.
    ``(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed--
            ``(1) as requiring a group health plan to provide any 
        substance abuse treatment benefits; or
            ``(2) to prevent a group health plan from negotiating the 
        level and type of reimbursement with a provider for care 
        provided in accordance with this section.
    ``(c) Exemptions.--
            ``(1) Small employer exemption.--
                    ``(A) In general.--This section shall not apply to 
                any group health plan for any plan year of a small 
                employer.
                    ``(B) Small employer.--For purposes of subparagraph 
                (A), the term `small employer' means, in connection 
                with a group health plan with respect to a calendar 
                year and a plan year, an employer who employed an 
                average of at least 2 but not more than 50 employees on 
                business days during the preceding calendar year and 
                who employs at least 2 employees on the first day of 
                the plan year.
                    ``(C) Application of certain rules in determination 
                of employer size.--For purposes of this paragraph--
                            ``(i) Application of aggregation rule for 
                        employers.--Rules similar to the rules under 
subsections (b), (c), (m), and (o) of section 414 shall apply for 
purposes of treating persons as a single employer.
                            ``(ii) Employers not in existence in 
                        preceding year.--In the case of an employer 
                        which was not in existence throughout the 
                        preceding calendar year, the determination of 
                        whether such employer is a small employer shall 
                        be based on the average number of employees 
                        that it is reasonably expected such employer 
                        will employ on business days in the current 
                        calendar year.
                            ``(iii) Predecessors.--Any reference in 
                        this paragraph to an employer shall include a 
                        reference to any predecessor of such employer.
            ``(2) Increased cost exemption.--This section shall not 
        apply with respect to a group health plan if the application of 
        this section to such plan results in an increase in the cost 
        under the plan of at least 1 percent.
    ``(d) Separate Application to Each Option Offered.--In the case of 
a group health plan that offers a participant or beneficiary two or 
more benefit package options under the plan, the requirements of this 
section shall be applied separately with respect to each such option.
    ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Treatment limitation.--The term `treatment 
        limitation' means, with respect to benefits under a group 
        health plan, any day or visit limits imposed on coverage of 
        benefits under the plan during a period of time.
            ``(2) Financial requirement.--The term `financial 
        requirement' means, with respect to benefits under a group 
        health plan, any deductible, coinsurance, or cost-sharing or an 
        annual or lifetime dollar limit imposed with respect to the 
        benefits under the plan.
            ``(3) Medical or surgical benefits.--The term `medical or 
        surgical benefits' means benefits with respect to medical or 
        surgical services, as defined under the terms of the plan, but 
        does not include substance abuse treatment benefits.
            ``(4) Substance abuse treatment benefits.--The term 
        `substance abuse treatment benefits' means benefits with 
        respect to substance abuse treatment services but only insofar 
        as such treatment services are abstinence-based. Such term 
        includes non-narcotic medication-based therapy and appropriate 
        transitional medication-based therapy.
            ``(5) Substance abuse treatment services.--The term 
        `substance abuse services' means any of the following items and 
        services provided for the treatment of substance abuse:
                    ``(A) Inpatient treatment, including 
                detoxification.
                    ``(B) Non-hospital residential treatment.
                    ``(C) Outpatient treatment, including screening and 
                assessment, medication management, individual, group, 
                and family counseling, and relapse prevention.
                    ``(D) Prevention services, including health 
                education and individual and group counseling to 
                encourage the reduction of risk factors for substance 
                abuse.
            ``(6) Substance abuse.--The term `substance abuse' includes 
        chemical dependency.
    ``(f) Sunset.--This section shall not apply to benefits for 
services furnished in plan years beginning on or after January 1, 
2005.''
                    (B) Section 4980D(d)(1) of such Code is amended by 
                inserting ``(other than a failure attributable to 
                section 9813)'' after ``on any failure''.
                    (C) The table of sections of subchapter B of 
                chapter 100 of such Code is amended by adding at the 
                end the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 9813. Parity in the application of 
                                        treatment limitations and 
                                        financial requirements to 
                                        substance abuse treatment 
                                        benefits.''
    (b) Individual Health Insurance.--(1) Part B of title XXVII of the 
Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 2752 
the following new section:

``SEC. 2753. PARITY IN THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENT LIMITATIONS AND 
              FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE BENEFITS.

    ``(a) In General.--The provisions of section 2707 (other than 
subsections (e) and (g)) shall apply to health insurance coverage 
offered by a health insurance issuer in the individual market in the 
same manner as it applies to health insurance coverage offered by a 
health insurance issuer in connection with a group health plan in the 
small or large group market.
    ``(b) Notice.--A health insurance issuer under this part shall 
comply with the notice requirement under section 714(f) of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 with respect to the requirements 
referred to in subsection (a) as if such section applied to such issuer 
and such issuer were a group health plan.
    ``(c) Sunset.--This section shall not apply to benefits for 
services furnished on or after January 1, 2005.''.
    (2) Section 2762(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-62(b)(2)) is 
amended by striking ``section 2751'' and inserting ``sections 2751 and 
2753''.
    (c) Effective Dates.--(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the amendments 
made by subsection (a) apply with respect to group health plans for 
plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2000.
    (2) The amendments made by subsection (b) apply with respect to 
health insurance coverage offered, sold, issued, renewed, in effect, or 
operated in the individual market on or after January 1, 2000.
    (3) In the case of a group health plan maintained pursuant to 1 or 
more collective bargaining agreements between employee representatives 
and 1 or more employers ratified before the date of enactment of this 
Act, the amendments made subsection (a) shall not apply to plan years 
beginning before the later of--
            (A) the date on which the last collective bargaining 
        agreements relating to the plan terminates (determined without 
        regard to any extension thereof agreed to after the date of 
        enactment of this Act), or
            (B) January 1, 2000.
For purposes of subparagraph (A), any plan amendment made pursuant to a 
collective bargaining agreement relating to the plan which amends the 
plan solely to conform to any requirement added by subsection (a) shall 
not be treated as a termination of such collective bargaining 
agreement.
    (d) Coordinated Regulations.--Section 104(1) of Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is amended by striking 
``this subtitle (and the amendments made by this subtitle and section 
401)'' and inserting ``the provisions of part 7 of subtitle B of title 
I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the 
provisions of parts A and C of title XXVII of the Public Health Service 
Act, and chapter 1000 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986''.
                                 <all>