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HR 953 108th Congress House

Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003

Official title: To provide for equal coverage of mental health benefits with respect to health insurance coverage unless comparable limitations are imposed on medical and surgical benefits.

Introduced: March 31, 2003 See on congress.gov
Health Access to health careAlcoholismCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCoinsurance
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CommerceCongressCongressional investigationsCongressional reporting requirementsDiscrimination in insuranceDiscrimination in medical careDrug abuseDrug abuse treatmentEmployee health benefitsFinance and Financial SectorHealth insuranceInsurance premiumsLabor and EmploymentManaged careMedical economics
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This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 24, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
Mar 10, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Feb 27, 2003
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Feb 27, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E312)
Feb 27, 2003
Introduced in House
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 Latest action March 24, 2003

Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to prohibit certain employee group health plans or related insurances providing both medical-surgical and mental health benefits from imposing mental health treatment limitations or financial requirements unless comparable limitations and requirements are imposed upon medical-surgical benefits. States that the foregoing shall not be construed as requiring a group health plan (or related insurances) to: (1) provide any mental health benefits; (2) prevent the medical management of mental health benefits; or (3) require the provision of specific mental health services, except to the extent that failure to provide such services would result in a disparity between the coverage of mental health and medical-surgical benefits.

Exempts specified small employers from such requirements.

Requires that, in the case of a group health plan that offers a participant or beneficiary two or more benefit package options, the coverage requirements shall be applied separately with respect to each such option.

Provides that, in the case of a plan or insurance providing in-network mental health benefits, out-of-network mental health benefits need not be provided at parity to medical-surgical benefits, as long as in-network mental health benefits are provided at parity with medical-surgical benefits and the plan or insurance provides reasonable access to in-network providers and facilities.

Requires a General Accounting Office study of such requirements' effects upon health insurance costs, access, and quality and a cost estimation of extending such requirements to the treatment of substance abuse and chemical dependency.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 62
All 62 Democratic 34 Republican 3 Independent 1
D
Smith, Adam
Washington · Mar 30, 2004
 R
Turner, Michael R.
Ohio · Jun 10, 2003
GEPHARDT, RICHARD
· Apr 3, 2003
 D
Hoyer, Steny H.
Maryland · Apr 3, 2003
LAMPSON, NICK
· Apr 3, 2003
 D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · Apr 3, 2003
SANDLIN, MAX
· Apr 3, 2003
TANNER, JOHN
· Apr 3, 2003
 D
Velázquez, Nydia M.
New York · Apr 3, 2003
 D
Waters, Maxine
California · Apr 3, 2003
HILL, BARON
· Apr 1, 2003
Isakson, Johnny
· Mar 31, 2003
 D
Bishop, Sanford D.
Georgia · Mar 25, 2003
LUCAS, KEN
· Mar 25, 2003
 D
Lynch, Stephen F.
Massachusetts · Mar 25, 2003
 D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Mar 25, 2003
 D
Kaptur, Marcy
Ohio · Mar 20, 2003
Bell, Chris
· Mar 19, 2003
KANJORSKI, PAUL
· Mar 18, 2003
Majette, Denise
· Mar 12, 2003
 D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Mar 12, 2003
 D
Neal, Richard E.
Massachusetts · Mar 6, 2003
 D
Sherman, Brad
California · Mar 6, 2003
 D
Baldwin, Tammy
Wisconsin · Mar 5, 2003
 D
Sánchez, Linda T.
California · Mar 5, 2003
TURNER, JIM
· Mar 5, 2003
 D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Mar 4, 2003
MCCARTHY, KAREN
· Mar 4, 2003
Ballance, Frank
· Feb 27, 2003
Burns, Max
· Feb 27, 2003
CARSON, BRAD
· Feb 27, 2003
 D
Case, Ed
Hawaii · Feb 27, 2003
 D
Clyburn, James E.
South Carolina · Feb 27, 2003
 D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Feb 27, 2003
 D
DeGette, Diana
Colorado · Feb 27, 2003
 D
DeLauro, Rosa L.
Connecticut · Feb 27, 2003
DEUTSCH, PETER
· Feb 27, 2003
 D
Doggett, Lloyd
Texas · Feb 27, 2003
FRELINGHUYSEN, RODNEY
· Feb 27, 2003
FROST, MARTIN
· Feb 27, 2003
GREENWOOD, JAMES
· Feb 27, 2003
HOEFFEL, JOSEPH
· Feb 27, 2003
KLECZKA, GERALD
· Feb 27, 2003
 D
Larsen, Rick
Washington · Feb 27, 2003
 D
Larson, John B.
Connecticut · Feb 27, 2003
LIPINSKI, WILLIAM
· Feb 27, 2003
 D
McCollum, Betty
Minnesota · Feb 27, 2003
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Feb 27, 2003
MOLLOHAN, ALAN
· Feb 27, 2003
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Feb 27, 2003
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 953: Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-953/
MLA
"H.R. 953: Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-953/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 953, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-953/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 953: Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-953/)
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