Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act This bill requires the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury to (1) cooperatively issue regulations to require group health plans and health insurance issuers to annually disclose the analyses performed to ensure compliance with mental health parity laws, and (2) conduct annual random audits of group health plans and health insurance issuers to determine compliance. (Mental health parity laws prohibit health insurance plans that cover mental health and substance use disorder services from imposing less favorable limitations on those benefits than are placed on medical and surgical benefits under that plan.) Additionally, HHS must establish a consumer parity unit: (1) to facilitate the collection of, monitoring of, and response to consumer complaints; and (2) to provide consumers information about the disclosure requirements and enforcement of the mental health parity laws.
Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresCongressional oversightConsumer affairsDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of LaborDepartment of the TreasuryDrug, alcohol, tobacco useEmployee benefits and pensionsExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment information and archivesHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessHealth care qualityHealth information and medical recordsHealth programs administration and fundingMental health
Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act
USA116th CongressS-1576| Senate
| Updated: 5/21/2019
Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act This bill requires the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury to (1) cooperatively issue regulations to require group health plans and health insurance issuers to annually disclose the analyses performed to ensure compliance with mental health parity laws, and (2) conduct annual random audits of group health plans and health insurance issuers to determine compliance. (Mental health parity laws prohibit health insurance plans that cover mental health and substance use disorder services from imposing less favorable limitations on those benefits than are placed on medical and surgical benefits under that plan.) Additionally, HHS must establish a consumer parity unit: (1) to facilitate the collection of, monitoring of, and response to consumer complaints; and (2) to provide consumers information about the disclosure requirements and enforcement of the mental health parity laws.
Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresCongressional oversightConsumer affairsDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of LaborDepartment of the TreasuryDrug, alcohol, tobacco useEmployee benefits and pensionsExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment information and archivesHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessHealth care qualityHealth information and medical recordsHealth programs administration and fundingMental health