Employee Retirement Preservation Act
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Official Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2006 mental health parity provisions, which require group health plans to treat equally mental health benefits and medical and surgical benefits for purposes of lifetime limits or annual limits on benefits covered by the plan.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The Employee Retirement Preservation Act (HR 4579) amends existing federal laws, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code, to extend mental health parity provisions through 2006. These provisions require group health plans to provide mental health benefits on par with medical and surgical benefits, specifically regarding lifetime and annual limits on covered benefits. The bill aims to maintain equal treatment of mental health coverage within group health plans for the specified period.
HR 4579 extends mental health parity requirements in group health plans through 2006, ensuring mental health benefits are treated equally with medical and surgical benefits in terms of coverage limits.
- Extends mental health parity provisions through the year 2006.
- Requires group health plans to treat mental health benefits equally with medical and surgical benefits for lifetime and annual limits.
- Amends three major federal laws: ERISA, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code.
['Individuals covered by group health plans requiring mental health parity.', 'Employers offering group health plans subject to ERISA and related laws.', 'Health insurance providers administering group health plans.']
['Implementation challenges in ensuring compliance with parity requirements across diverse group health plans.', 'Potential increased costs for employers and insurers due to extended parity mandates.', 'Oversight mechanisms to monitor enforcement of parity provisions are not detailed in the summary.']
This bill was introduced in the House during the 109th Congress and referred to the Subcommittee on Health. It builds upon existing mental health parity laws by extending their application through 2006. The bill reflects ongoing legislative efforts to maintain parity in mental health coverage within group health plans under federal law.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential improvement in access to mental health services due to continued parity requirements.', 'Possible influence on future legislative efforts to extend or expand mental health parity beyond 2006.', 'May affect insurance market practices by reinforcing parity standards.']
The bill summary provides a clear description of the extension of mental health parity provisions but lacks detailed information on enforcement, cost estimates, or specific implementation guidelines. Transparency around oversight responsibilities and financial impacts would aid in assessing the full implications of the legislation.
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